Mexicana Airlines has filed for bankruptcy protection and it sounds like this may be a little messier than what we’ve come to expect from airline bankruptcies.

Airlines like United, US Airways, Delta, and Northwest have all gone through recent “business as usual” bankruptcies, with virtually no impact to travelers.  But Mexciana’s situation seems a little different as the airline announced today that it is suspending new ticket sales on all of its international flights (including those between the USA and Mexico).

Mexicana insists, despite the bankruptcy, it will continue to operate its full schedule “in the interest of protecting passengers”.  But flying half empty planes without even trying to fill them doesn’t sound like a recipe for financial recovery, so we are assuming that one way or another, another shoe will soon drop — either they will be rescued and will resume full operations, or they will shut down.

In the meantime, if you are holding a ticket on Mexicana, continue to watch this space and check out their web site for the latest information.

You can also feel free to contact one of our Customer Support Representatives if you have questions, or need help.

One other point: Mexicana’s domestic flights (wholly within Mexico) are not affected.  These flights are operated by partner airlines who are not part of the bankruptcy filing.