RIO DE JANEIRO — Avianca Brasil is cancelling 1,045 domestic flights this week because it has to return 18 aircraft to leasing agencies.

Brazil’s National Aviation Agency says the planes needed to be returned Monday to avoid affecting Holy Week holiday passengers. Customers can either get refunds for cancelled flights or rebook through partner airlines.

Avianca Brasil declines to say how many planes it has left. But the G1 news portal reports that Avianca Brasil has just seven planes still in its fleet.

The airline filed for bankruptcy in December after failing to pay leases on its aircraft. It was formerly known as Ocean Air and licenses the name Avianca from Colombian carrier Avianca Holdings SA, but they are separate companies.

The Associated Press