Freight DogsFinally a forum for those midnight prowler types who utilise the unglamorous parts of airports that many of us never get to see. Freight Dogs is for pilots and crew who operate mostly without SLF.
Hearing rumours on the grapevine that Avient are having finanical problems due to lack of cash and could be heading down the same way as MK in the near future....lots of rumble's in the jungle...
Thrax is right - Avient don't have the support of the UK market because SS is disliked by most and knows nothing about this industry yet ponificates away. Their overseas GSAs have been treated poorly and will jump ship as soon as they find an alternative which may not be that far away.
Allied are nicer to deal with and look after their customers better which is why they get my business.
The Slice - No, Allied are not cheaper - just nicer to to business with and I'm fussy who I deal with.
Bob has it right - at least Stonehenge is just round the corner in case they need to make a sacrifice.
Hard to believe sp48hx isn't it?
There have been two SS's in British history - One brought misery to thousands through oversized ego eventually sinking without trace.... the other was a Steam Ship that hit an Iceberg. Perhaps there will be something in common.
I have to agree with an earlier comment, SS behaves like the SS, attitude to the customer sucks. Allied on the other hand are great people to do business with and we will stick with them. With the present situation in Zim and the growing political situation, it won't be long before Gordon and Dubya start to impose a few sanctions. The cricket team looks as though they will be banned from travelling, 'Sir' Bob just got a slap down from HM, how long before someone takes a look at a Zim registered cargo airline operating through the back door into Europe and hiding in a little known field in France. The EU needs to wake up on this one.
With the decay and destruction of everything in Zimbabwe it is/must be reasonable to assume that the CAA Authority is also by now dysfunctional and cannot responsibly cary out its regulatory and oversight responsibilities.
Need also not be a wizzard to hazard a guess that the ZCAA is staffed by Mugabe cronies, like everywhere and things iin Zimbabwe, because after all its a small cash cow for the government.
This, together with the rumours of an official partnership (of convenience) between Avient and senior officers of the Zimbabwe National Defence Force, should be more than sufficient reason for the EU to seriously look at the morality and desirability of allowing the aircraft in question, and any Zimbawean registrations for that matter, into European airspace.
Avient's past acknowledgement of their support to and association with this evil regime should just make matters worse and compound the issue.
If Mozambique, Swaziland, DRC etc etc are banned by the EU, there are ample reasons by now to also ban the Zimbabwe register.
AAL, I couldn't agree with you more, but don't you find it just a little curious as to how they have managed to duck and dive for so long, and why no-one in Europe is prepared to ask the question as to why a Zimbabwe registered cargo airline with a highly questionable history, owned and run by an individual with a known background of support for the Mugabe regime, is still allowed to operate and be based within the EU? Why have the French Authorities turned a blind eye for so long on the operation in Vatry? One would have thought that Air France Cargo would have had something to say about it?
zfwmac, yes I have certainly given it some thought. I have also looked up (researched on the web) the debates in the British Parliament about the company and their role and activities in Zimbabwe and the DRC, observed the futile attempts by European rights groups to place these activities on the agenda, and noticed the observation of SS's presence at certain diplomatic cocktail parties in Harare, and can only come to the conclusion that perhaps it is not prudent to discuss his "protection" on a forum like this.
It is however mind blowing that DAS was banned from the EU (perhaps deservedly) but that Avient still continues to fly unhindered.
Please remember, Avient did not only "partner" the ZAF and the DRC Forces, but before had a long history of association with all kinds of nefarious parties and activities with such as International Air Services/Ducor World Airlines and their dubious activities also.
The more one thinks about this, the more astonishing that they continue to operate and fly freely into the EU, while others had to go and explain at The Hague.
You can wipe the s--t of the wall but the smell still lingers - in this case it eminates from inside Druid Castle. Occasional rumours of people allegedly not being paid causing different routings of aircraft away from where dues are owed. However, the ego still feeds - saw a beaufiful new 40ft tractor trailer with Avient Logistics parked near RAF Lyneham the other day, curtains closed around the cab. Dodgy deal or driver resting?
Avient still have the highest fuel surcharge in the UK and always first to implement it. Its been a few days so no doubt another one on its way. Perhaps Boib can lend them his personal jet - it may be more fuel efficient?
With their undisputed history and reputation how can they be flying for the MOD and at that with Z registrations in which Zimbabwe Generals have a partnership?
Those Zimbo Generals must be killing themselves laughing.
Oh - I don't know AAL, the UK MOD and the yanks have used (and continue to use) Victor Bout's fleet when it suits them (or more likely in blind ignorance), so why not use a Zim carrier? I suspect there will be some severe sanctions imposed soon,let's see if Avient can continue to be Teflon-coated!
Similar Threads 
Linear Mode
