Zoom Airlines collapse

Zoom Airlines, San Diego's only overseas airline service at the time, was zapped.

The Canadian-based economy-fare airline suspended operations on Thursday 28th August 2008, grounding all aircraft and canceling its flights, and said it will file for bankruptcy in Canada and the United Kingdom.

The airline had been serving Lindbergh Field with twice-weekly nonstop flights to London for only two months. Airport officials had wooed the airline with about $300,000 in financial incentives, beating out San Francisco and Seattle for the service.

The airline's abrupt grounding left an unknown number of ticket-holding customers in the lurch, including up to 260 passengers who may have had tickets for today's San Diego-to-London flight. That's the number of seats available on Zoom's scheduled flight, according to Lindbergh Field officials.

Other Zoom ticket holders include Charger fans who bought travel packages to London for an Oct. 26 game against the Saints at Wembley Stadium. Through San Diego's Aer Travel, the Chargers offered packages beginning at $3,900 that included a non-stop flight to London, a six-night hotel stay and a ticket to the game.

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