Zoom Airlines Cancels Flights, Leaves Passengers Stranded

Zoom Airlines, San Diego’s only overseas airline service, has been zapped. Zoom Airlines has grounded its planes, stranding passengers at several airports.

The Canadian-based economy-fare airline suspended operations on Thursday, 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.

Hampton Brown, manager of air-services development for Lindbergh Field, said the airport was not out any money on the incentives because its contract with Zoom required the airline to provide service for at least a year to be reimbursed for marketing and other expenses.