Bankrupt "Air Comet" leaves hundreds of Israeli travelers stranded in Latin America

Round-trip tickets are being offered by El Al at a 50% discount to Israeli travelers who had booked through Air Comet
 
Hundreds of Israeli travelers who booked return flights from South America with Air Comet found themselves stranded at airports in Latin America after the Spanish airline suspended all its flights. It is understood that several hundred travelers are still reportedly affected after the airline's fleet was grounded by Spain's officials over its failure to pay debts. The low-cost Spanish carrier owes 17m euros (£15m) to Germany's Nord Bank in lease payments.
 
The low-cost carrier which focused on flights from Spain to South America has a fleet of 13 planes and carried 1,500 passengers a day on flights from Madrid to South American cities including Bogota, Buenos Aires, Havana, Lima and Quito.
 
The Madrid-based company owned by Spain's Grupo Marsans said it had filed for bankruptcy.
 
Dozens of Israelis who were stuck in South America, were flown home last month as part of a campaign organized by the Spanish government to extricate some 6,000 Air Comet customers stranded overseas. The Spanish infrastructure ministry, which is responsible for transport, spend last month 6.3 million euros (US$9.0 million dollars) to transport passengers affected by the collapse of the debt-ridden airline.
 
According to local travel agencies there are more than 100 Israelis left in South America who had intended to fly back with the airline over the next two months.
 
At the request of travel agencies, round-trip tickets are being offered by El Al at a 50% discount to Israeli travelers who had booked through Air Comet, as well $600 flights from Sao Paulo, Brazil direct to Tel Aviv.