RIX BT
27th Oct 2008, 16:24
Estonian Air pilot paid cash for fuel...
A flight of Estonian Air was delayed on this month when the pilot had to pay cash for fuel.
Postimees writes that an Estonian Air flight that was leaving Munich for Tallinn on Saturday was 1.5 hours late with departure. The reason was strange: the aircraft was out of fuel and the re-fueller did not accept the credit card of Estonian Air so that the plane’s captain was forced to go to Munich to withdraw cash.
“We waited in the plane for twenty minutes until the co-pilot came and told us that the plane had not been re-fuelled since the airline’s credit card was not accepted,” commented Toivo Maimets, professor of Tartu University who was on board of the flight.
“The co-pilot said that the refueller was accepting only cash and that the plane’s captain had gone to look for it.” Passengers were sent to the waiting area to wait for the Tallinn departure.
“This is unbelievable. Perhaps they will tell me the next time also that my credit card is not trusted?” wondere Maimets. The fuel line was still attached and the trip started 1.5 hours later. What happened? Was the mistrust caused by the bank or by Estonian Air?
“These are complex times in aviation and many companies have made their credit policy tougher,” said Ilona Eskelinen, head of public relations of Estonian Air. “What happened on Saturday was a misunderstanding in executing an agreed payment procedure.”
Therefore the pilot had no option, but to withdraw cash with the same rejected credit card. According to Eskelinen, this was the first time that a company abroad does not accept a credit card issued by an international recognized bank.
The Munich flight required around 4-5 tons of fuel that costs around one euro per litre. Eskelinen added that use of credit cards for paying for a large quantity of fuel is not at all unusual.
“Payment is also made by bills, but pilots carry credit cards if there is need to pay for fuel on site,” she said. Estonian Air purchases fuel from the same company in Germany and Italy. In the same day the airline paid for fuel in the Milan Airport by using the same credit card without any problems.
Estonian Air added in comment the following: “The incident on Saturday was a misunderstanding with regard to the execution of agreed payment procedures that was complicated because of communication problems between parties in different countries (fuel company and re-fuelling company) that was difficult to be solved over the weekend.
Estonian Air buys fuel from the same company both in German and Italy. On the same day we paid in the Milan airport for fuel with the same credit card and without any problems. Payment for fuel is done differently, both by invoices or credit card in order to remain flexible. The credit card that the Munich refueling company rejected was in order since it was used to take out cash that was then used for paying for fuel.
This is the first time in our practice when a credit card that has been issued by an internationally recognized bank is not approved abroad, and we are investigating the incident.”
Lithuanian airline FlyLAL pulls out of Estonia
Lithuanian national carrier FlyLAL that aggressively entered the Estonia market at the beginning of the year has decided to pull out of Estonia.
Eesti Päevaleht writes that the airline will terminate its Tallinn-Vilnius line for the winter season and will exchange or buy back tickets that it has already sold for the line.
One Estonian who purchased a ticket to Tallinn-Vilnius-Rome route for 1,500 kroons said that he had received an e-mail from the airline saying that the Tallinn-Vilnius line is cancelled and offered to buy back the ticket or order a replacement flight.
The airline told Eesti Päevaleht that since many Estonians were using Vilnius as a transit hub for flying elsewhere to Europe. “In the winter the demand for such flights has fallen and we were forced to cancel these flights,” said the airline.
According to FlyLAL, the last Tallinn-Vilnius flight in this season will take place on October 24.
Riga Airport detains flyLAL airplane
Security guards at Riga International Airport at sunday morning detained a "flyLAL" passenger plane scheduled to depart for Vilnius. The reason given by officials - unpaid debt.
Martins Langrats, the airport's press secretary, told LETA that bills for money due for airborne service fees were presented to the airplane's captain overnight, and the plane will be held until payment.
Langrats added that the debt remains from mid-summer, and "flyLAL" has shown an unwillingness to meet its obligations.
The "flyLAL" flight arrived in Riga shortly before midnight, and was scheduled to return to Vilnius at 6.35 a.m. Sunday.
This was an extreme measure, Langrats admitted, adding that the amount of money due cannot be disclosed because the airport's contract with "flyLAL" is confidential. However, the amount is "significant".
A flight of Estonian Air was delayed on this month when the pilot had to pay cash for fuel.
Postimees writes that an Estonian Air flight that was leaving Munich for Tallinn on Saturday was 1.5 hours late with departure. The reason was strange: the aircraft was out of fuel and the re-fueller did not accept the credit card of Estonian Air so that the plane’s captain was forced to go to Munich to withdraw cash.
“We waited in the plane for twenty minutes until the co-pilot came and told us that the plane had not been re-fuelled since the airline’s credit card was not accepted,” commented Toivo Maimets, professor of Tartu University who was on board of the flight.
“The co-pilot said that the refueller was accepting only cash and that the plane’s captain had gone to look for it.” Passengers were sent to the waiting area to wait for the Tallinn departure.
“This is unbelievable. Perhaps they will tell me the next time also that my credit card is not trusted?” wondere Maimets. The fuel line was still attached and the trip started 1.5 hours later. What happened? Was the mistrust caused by the bank or by Estonian Air?
“These are complex times in aviation and many companies have made their credit policy tougher,” said Ilona Eskelinen, head of public relations of Estonian Air. “What happened on Saturday was a misunderstanding in executing an agreed payment procedure.”
Therefore the pilot had no option, but to withdraw cash with the same rejected credit card. According to Eskelinen, this was the first time that a company abroad does not accept a credit card issued by an international recognized bank.
The Munich flight required around 4-5 tons of fuel that costs around one euro per litre. Eskelinen added that use of credit cards for paying for a large quantity of fuel is not at all unusual.
“Payment is also made by bills, but pilots carry credit cards if there is need to pay for fuel on site,” she said. Estonian Air purchases fuel from the same company in Germany and Italy. In the same day the airline paid for fuel in the Milan Airport by using the same credit card without any problems.
Estonian Air added in comment the following: “The incident on Saturday was a misunderstanding with regard to the execution of agreed payment procedures that was complicated because of communication problems between parties in different countries (fuel company and re-fuelling company) that was difficult to be solved over the weekend.
Estonian Air buys fuel from the same company both in German and Italy. On the same day we paid in the Milan airport for fuel with the same credit card and without any problems. Payment for fuel is done differently, both by invoices or credit card in order to remain flexible. The credit card that the Munich refueling company rejected was in order since it was used to take out cash that was then used for paying for fuel.
This is the first time in our practice when a credit card that has been issued by an internationally recognized bank is not approved abroad, and we are investigating the incident.”
Lithuanian airline FlyLAL pulls out of Estonia
Lithuanian national carrier FlyLAL that aggressively entered the Estonia market at the beginning of the year has decided to pull out of Estonia.
Eesti Päevaleht writes that the airline will terminate its Tallinn-Vilnius line for the winter season and will exchange or buy back tickets that it has already sold for the line.
One Estonian who purchased a ticket to Tallinn-Vilnius-Rome route for 1,500 kroons said that he had received an e-mail from the airline saying that the Tallinn-Vilnius line is cancelled and offered to buy back the ticket or order a replacement flight.
The airline told Eesti Päevaleht that since many Estonians were using Vilnius as a transit hub for flying elsewhere to Europe. “In the winter the demand for such flights has fallen and we were forced to cancel these flights,” said the airline.
According to FlyLAL, the last Tallinn-Vilnius flight in this season will take place on October 24.
Riga Airport detains flyLAL airplane
Security guards at Riga International Airport at sunday morning detained a "flyLAL" passenger plane scheduled to depart for Vilnius. The reason given by officials - unpaid debt.
Martins Langrats, the airport's press secretary, told LETA that bills for money due for airborne service fees were presented to the airplane's captain overnight, and the plane will be held until payment.
Langrats added that the debt remains from mid-summer, and "flyLAL" has shown an unwillingness to meet its obligations.
The "flyLAL" flight arrived in Riga shortly before midnight, and was scheduled to return to Vilnius at 6.35 a.m. Sunday.
This was an extreme measure, Langrats admitted, adding that the amount of money due cannot be disclosed because the airport's contract with "flyLAL" is confidential. However, the amount is "significant".