ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – A commercial jet that was grounded at the international airport in St. John’s, N.L., under a court order has been released after National Airlines paid its outstanding bill.

St. John’s International Airport Authority says the Boeing 757 was prevented from flying on Friday under a court order because the airline was $182,000 in arrears.

The airport authority says the bill was roughly seven months overdue and it exhausted all avenues to collect the outstanding payments before turning to the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador.

They say travellers who were scheduled to travel to Orlando, Fla., on Friday have either been booked on another flight or reimbursed for the full cost of their ticket.

National Airlines has offered a direct flight from St. John’s to Orlando since January.

The authority says the American airline had already planned to stop operating the flight this January, and they say it’s unclear whether the scheduled flight for Friday will go ahead as planned.

(The Canadian Press, VOCM)