Excel Airways is on its own - no longer part of AVION
Anyone else seen this?
'
Disposal of 100% in XL Leisure Group for USD 450 million
· Disposal of 51% in Avion Aircraft Trading for USD 51 million
· 49% in Avion Aircraft Trading retained by Avion Group
· Purchase price used for continued growth and repayment of loans
Avion Group (Avion or the ‘Company’) announces that it has reached agreement for the disposal of the entire issued share capital of XL Leisure Group for USD 450 million. XL Leisure Group was recently formed from the Charter & Leisure division within Avion and consists of Excel Airways Group in the UK, Star Airlines in France and Star Europe in Germany. The disposal is being made to a buy-out team, led by Phillip Wyatt, Chief Executive Officer of XL Leisure Group and is conditional on CAA approval in the UK.
The profit on the disposal before tax is estimated to be USD 107 million and is calculated according to the book value of the assets of XL Leisure Group as at 31 July 2006. The proceeds of USD 450 million is payable on completion of the puchase. '
Excel now the parent of Travel City will be operating Boeing 747-400 and Boeing 767's for TCD, next summer. Currently the 767 do not have seat backs in any cabin. Whether they will be re-fitted for 2007 remains to be seen as yet.
rumour has it in XL that next year they will have an A/C on a wet lease flying for GB in BA colours, anyone any more info?
seems like the GB F/Os are going to lose their commands as well as their parking!
Is there any end to XL's expansion, over the past few months I have seen XL 737, 757, 767, 747, 146 and even a 320 which seemed to also have Air Malta colours on the side. I would love to know how their back room staff, recruitment, maintenance, training ......... to name a few can keep up.
Bloody Hell!!
(and I'm not having a go at any individual airline or pilots!!)
I thought it was GB co-pilots that were taking BA commands! Where oh where are we all going to end up after this industry finishes its nosedive to oblivion?
The sooner Gordon Brown taxes flying out of existence, the better. I'm going to invest my redundancy pot(??) in horse s**t and turn my front lawn into a 25' square organic farm to save the planet.
Location: Not far from alpha head and ferrybridge - if you were there you will understand the nostalgia
Posts: 18
Last i heard GB have recruited so many low hour or non jet guys they struggling to fill their LHS and have been discussing DEC's, rang up to enquire but was fobbed off!! Prob why they having to wet lease the excel, mind you if it's just for the summer it gets round the over capacity in the winter! Shame about the parking, i was always jealous of that little perk - welcome to the staff bus chaps
you're kinda half right - although the post was a little sensationalist.
GB were offered an extension on the lease for A320 TTOA for a period of 6+ years when they only wanted the a/c on lease for a further 6 months approx.
Hence they haven't renewed the lease and the a/c goes back to the lessor shortly.
This leaves the airline with a shortfall in a/c numbers for a period next year, until roughly the time that the next new A321 TTIF arrives from the factory.
In the meantime a lease has been organised to cover this shortfall, i believe with Excel, using their pilots but GB cabin crew. Bit like what Astraeus are doing with Flybe at the moment with the B737's.
I'm sure someone out there knows more of the nitty gritty details but this what i'm told the situation is.
As for the parking/Beehive situation, the consultation period surrounding the move is ongoing with nothing signed or resolved yet.
Commands won't be affected long term as the lease is purely short term and total a/c numbers at GB remain unaffected.
And - R3Hard - there's definately NO problems filling left hand seats as there are PLENTY of SFO's and FO's on the seniority with the required type hours and jet hours. Command couses are on going with at least another 3 planned for early next year.
737-800, to be based at Manchester operating for GB on their normal route structure (although quite what that is from MAN given the frequent changes, I don't know). It is indeed related to the return of 'OA to the leasing company next spring.
They may have signed for a wet lease but under the terms of the franchise its illegal. Only BA/Franchise pilots can fly BA flight numbers. So if its only doing charter work with GBL flight numbers its OK but it can't fly any of the BA schedules.
GB and BA CCs already working to get this stopped, watch this space.
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