Like George Clooney and his fellow doomed ship-mates in A Perfect Storm, Eos Airlines appears to be the best example of what can happen when extreme conditions combine to make survival impossible.

The start-up – named after a Greek goddess - appeared to have everything going for it when it started trading in 2005. Times were good, and Eos was offering executives a premium service (with a price to match) for those companies willing to stump up the cash to fly their people across the Atlantic.
 
Now, following hard on the heals of Maxjet, who crashed and burned in December, Eos has filed for bankruptcy. Citing rising fuel costs, the credit crunch (which made it nigh on impossible for the company to refinance their debt) and a reluctance of companies to embrace their business model in turbulent times, Eos has admitted defeat.

Its demise leaves Silverjet and L’Avion – who fly from Paris to New York - as the last remaining companies specialising in business class flights. However, given that Silverjet’s share price has fallen to 14p from a high of £2.09, and reports suggest that it’s French rival is also struggling, it seems unlikely that either will be in it for the long haul.