BUDGET airline Bonza, which flies in and out of Albury, entered voluntary administration on Tuesday.

Passengers were left stranded at a handful of airports across the country on Tuesday, as the airline’s owners considered the viability of the business’ future.

Bonza chief executive officer Tim Jordan confirmed the airline had entered negotiations over how it can continue to operate in Australia.

“We apologise to our customers who are impacted by this and we’re working as quickly as possible to determine a way forward that ensures there is ongoing competition in the Australian domestic aviation market,” he said.

The Federal Transport Department set up a hotline for customers to call which operated Tuesday night.

Major competitors Virgin Australia, Qantas, and Jetstar stepped in to offer affected customers complimentary seats, where available, on services travelling to their planned destinations.