Thousands of passengers affected by Niki airline's grounding
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Thousands of European travelers could be left stranded by the bankruptcy of Austrian budget carrier Niki.
The airline ceased flight operations Thursday. Hopes for a swift rescue of Niki, a division of bankrupt Air Berlin, were dashed Wednesday when Lufthansa dropped its bid for the airline following resistance from the European Commission.
Niki posted a notice on its website saying passengers should contact their tour operator if possible. It said several other airlines have offered to fly passengers back to Germany, Austria and Switzerland for a small fee if they booked directly through Niki.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Austria's transport minister said up to 10,000 passengers could be affected by the bankruptcy over the coming two weeks.
The airline's founder, ex-Formula 1 driver Niki Lauda, has expressed interest in buying back the company.