Is Elite Airways Headquartered in Portland, Maine Out of Business?

Elite Airways is the only commercial airline headquartered in Maine and they've stopped flying.

According to Aviation Pros (sourced by the Portland Press Herald), no one knows exactly what's going on and Elite Airways executives aren't talking.

Until recently Elite was a huge help for Mainers who love Florida. They offered low-cost flights to and from the Portland International Jetport with stops in New York, New Jersey, and a couple of stops in Florida. But right now it seems like Elite has quietly shut down most of its service.

According to the article in Aviation Pros, there are lots of complaints about canceled flights on Elite in recent months. When you go to Elite's website, it doesn't let you book anything and has a message in bold that says,

Elite Airways is presently undergoing a reservation system upgrade & maintenance. Please try again later

They don't say how much later. But when called, reservation agents said they can't offer flights for Elite passengers. One agent did say that the airline might get back to flying in mid-March. But that hasn't been confirmed or denied by anyone at Elite. Even if they wanted to fly, there are no planes at the Portland International Jetport. The article says they are scattered in Arizona, Tennessee with two at the Auburn-Lewiston Municipal Airport. Apparently, Elite was using that airport for maintenance and office space.

They had big plans in the Auburn-Lewiston airport, but currently Elite owes almost $70,000 in back rent. It's not the only money trouble Elite is in. In Vero Beach, Florida, Elite is barred from flying until it pays the city $6,600 in overdue fees and proves its insurance was renewed. The only thing that is for sure, is that Elite is not giving a straight answer about anything.