Northern Ireland travellers booked on flights with Zoom Airlines were last night dealt a blow as the company announced it has gone into administration.

The news comes exactly a month after the budget transatlantic airline launched its summer 2009 schedule, saying that it remained committed to the Northern Ireland travel market.

Zoom Airlines, which operated out of Belfast International Airport, has suspended all its flights.

All passengers due to fly with the airline have been advised to seek bookings with alternative airlines. However, there is no contact information on the company’s website for passengers to speak directly to someone from Zoom.

Zoom Airlines began operations in Northern Ireland in June 2005 with flights to Toronto weekly on Wednesdays at prices starting from £89 one way including taxes.

At the time, the managing director at Belfast International Airport, Albert Harrison, endorsed the launch of Zoom Airlines and hailed it as “a further major boost to long haul air access into Northern Ireland from a market offering vast tourism potential”.

The company announced its new schedule at the end of last month — two weekly services from Belfast to Toronto, leaving on Tuesdays and Fridays — and a weekly flight to Vancouver, departing Belfast on Mondays. However, last night it announced that all flights scheduled to depart have been cancelled.

A notice on the company’s website said: “For customers who have future travel plans involving a Zoom flight for which reservations and payment have been made, you should refer to your credit or debit card company to apply for a refund.”