Qantas New Zealand Airline Closes Down

Qantas New Zealand airline was forced out of business after running out of money, stranding thousands of travelers and leaving hundreds of staff jobless. The airline’s parent company, Tasman Pacific Airlines, was put into bankruptcy proceedings just months after a change of ownership and relaunch as a domestic carrier. The airline halted operations after its last flights Friday night. More than 1,100 airline staff and as many as 2,000 ground support staff are affected by the closure. Rival carrier Air New Zealand was scheduling extra flights today and calling in staff to handle travelers stranded by the collapse.