The Icelandic budget airline Wow Air abruptly ceased operations Thursday, canceling all flights and stranding passengers around the world.

In an early morning travel alert, Wow Air urged ticket holders to look elsewhere to complete their trips, noting that other airlines may offer "so-called rescue fares, in light of the circumstances."

Wow Air did not include any details about other flight options, only that "Information on those airlines will be published, when it becomes available."

Ireland's Aer Lingus said that it would offer special rescue fares to Wow Air passengers who were scheduled to fly between Thursday and April 11. Customers who have Wow Air tickets for trips after April 12 are eligible for "value fares" with Aer Lingus, the company said.

In a section of the alert with the heading "What are my rights?" the airline outlined how some passengers may be entitled to compensation for their canceled flights. Those who purchased travel insurance or who bought their tickets with a credit card that offers travel protection may be able to recoup some costs, Wow Air said, but noted that "such compensation is often limited."

The carrier said it may be obligated to compensate passengers in accordance with European regulations. "In case of a bankruptcy, claims should be filed to the administrator / liquidator," the company said.

On Twitter, stranded passengers expressed their frustration and tagged the airline and other carriers in an apparent effort to get home.

The airline's customer support account on Twitter was hit with request after request for help. A litany of apologies in public messages Thursday instructed individual customers to send their booking information through private, direct messages for assistance. Customers complained about canceled flights, demanded refunds and asked for new bookings to continue their journeys.

Passengers who booked Wow Air travel using the app Hopper will receive a refund, Hopper's chief executive, Frederic Lalonde, said Thursday. The company will also cover the cost of rebooking for stranded passengers. Close to 1,000 Hopper customers were affected by the cancellations, the company said. It is reaching out to them through text messages and push notifications through the app.

As of Thursday, Wow Air was offering sub-$200 fares from Baltimore, Detroit, New York and Boston.

Last year, Icelandair reached an agreement to buy Wow Air. Both airlines had been struggling in the face of higher oil prices, slowed tourism to Iceland, and competition from rivals that offered direct flights to Europe. But the deal evaporated.

A private equity firm also recently discussed investing in Wow Air, but last week the carrier announced the suitor had backed out of the talks. In a last-ditch effort, just one week ago, the company said it had rekindled conversations with Icelandair for a potential takeover, the Financial Times reported.

Based in Iceland's capital city of Reykjavik, Wow Air was founded in 2011, employing about 1,000 people, according to the company's website. The airline flew 3.5 million passengers last year, serving airports in Europe, the U.S., Canada and Israel.

Wow Air's end of operations follows the demise of another European low-budget airline, Primera Air, which folded in October, less than two months after launching regular service between Dulles International Airport and London's Stansted Airport. As with Wow Air, Primera Air's sudden cancellations left many passengers stranded on both sides of the Atlantic.