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.
I have to question how any airline operating on the UK register can withstand the ongoing economic tests required to be met by the regulator if it is not even in a position pay the employees.
If the company is under such ecomonic stress then you have to wonder whether it can put the necessary resource required into the safe operation of the aircraft, which is fundamental in maintaining the operating licence.
I feel genuinely sorry for the staff at MK who have clearly been through the mill trying to aid the airline's survival.
Lets get one thing straight Mk never cut corners on maintenance not even under the Ghana AOCheir engineering team will tell you as any ot t. The reason for going to MSE is that is where the customer wants his cargo & as much of it is time critical fresh produce thats where it will go, unfortunately the UK is no longer much of a manufacturing nation so very little is exported so you go where the work is i.e Ost/Lux & again this is mainly dictatrd by the customer. Unless you are offering a scheduled service this is the way the game is played. The cost of the ferry flight hopefully is factored in to your charge out rates. As for a 200 costing more on maint over a year I never said it didnt, what I said is that when you combine all costs i.e maint, fuel & especially lease costs which are about 30% that a 400 costs , on shorter legs 4-6 hrs a 200 can hold its own.
Exup, that MK never cuts corners on maintenance, not even under the Ghana AOC, is a very unsuitable remark.
As a reminder, read MK Airlines B747 crash at Halifax. Under the Ghana AOC, there was no safety culture. Under MK’s present financial stress, why would MK’s views on both safety and treatment of its office staff and crew be better than in Ghanaian times?
Contary to popular beleive on this forum Mk Engineering is not run or operated by a bunch of Yahoos. It is run by a group of professional engineers who work to a higher standard that a lot of other airlines that could be mentioned. They are a mixture of SA, Zim & UK guys alot of whom I know personally & would have absolutely no hesitation in employing them in the future. They are subject to exactly the same oversight by the UK CAA & EASA as any other airline so to come on here & say that they would delibrately skimp on maint is completly out of order. Remember Just like Aircrew the Engineers are the ones that take resposibility when an aircraft is dispatched, it is their Licence, livelyhood & reputation at stake if they are negligent not to mention their conscience if something should go wrong that could possible injury someone. I am sorry if this sounds like a rant but I get fed up with people making sweeping statements about Mk & other operators when they are sitting on the outside with absolutely know substance to their claims other than their own uninformed opions
Having followed the forum I don’t think that there is anything that shows the airlines is being run by a bunch of corrupt engineers. In fact I can tell you it makes more skill and ability to keep these old aircraft flying and you can be sure the CAA will be breathing down their necks. Of course there are people who say these things for political agenda. Read some of the major airline forums you will see the same rhetoric. If you try and sort the wheat from the chaff you will see that MK have long been in financial problems and yes they have struggled to keep going in a very difficult economic climate. Once the slide starts the first thing is to cut rates, fly additional dead legs, go to place no one else will go and carry cargos that no one else will carry etc to get work at any cost. Then the cost cutting to not pay creditors and finally the not paying salaries. It is a tough road back. The “problem” is that MK is still run by the founder with a personal interest to try and keep his baby alive and not by a nondescript financial committee. The leaving of Commercial and QA people must be tough to overcome but these people have a living and family to maintain so who can blame them for not taking better offers. As storeman says some people just cannot survive on reduced or deferred salaries
. There probably is lots of work out there but if there is any money to be made the Big Boys will be doing it. Your points about the 2-4 hour market are probably correct but the problem is that you are in a smaller niche market with less work and more competition.
I don't know the new management well but I believe in Mike, the company still caries his name!!
Does it actually - me thinks you have all been led up the garden path MK actually stands for M.... and Kruger, his original partner in the business back in the late 80's/early 90's.
Just thort I'd drop in a bit of trivia for the day.
MrBernouili ever heard of GOOGLE?
M in MK stands for Mussemelli (of Ghana) (as the say in french in Congo) “le président fondateur” See MK Airlines - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mike Kruger (not to be confused with a very famous German comic/singer) is a former Air Force of Rhodesia helicopter and Canberra pilot and the nephew of legendary Captain Jack Malloch who founded Affretair (known for its UN sanctions-busting operations during the UDI) MK Airlines B747 crash at Halifax - Page 26 - PPRuNe Forums
And now for some more trivia. I finally found who is managing MK and the capital behind. It’s all on the website of www.belfairsgroup.com. Although be it a somewhat “home-build” very brief website (registered by mr Loay Jolag who is also the current general manager of MK Airlnes Ltd UK) you’ll find they operate through the “Belfairs Management Ltd” company at 39 Curzon Street, London, W1J 7TZ. A view of the front door of the office can be seen on 39, Curzon Street, W1J 7TZ (next to the house with the boarded windows). Belfairs Management has Saudi national mr. Abdulal Jabal Al Anizi as sole share holder with 1 share worth 1$ (one dollar). The company is so small it is exempt of giving insight into accounts and was even “dormant” in 2007. What can we learn from the UK companies registry? Not a lot apparently. Is MK officially run by a small (UK) cover-up company? The address of Transatlantic Aviation Ltd, the company that’s really behind MK, is not given! Nor are financial reports or real transparency. Hallelujah.
Poor people pay taxes, or work for nothing… the happy few… Where are the unions in all this? Non existing in aviation? P.s.: MKA is on the Belfairsgroup website with a full page, it's an all "good news" show. TAA's Bolivean adventure: 1
However, my point is that MK’s present-day dodgy financial background undoubtedly puts safety procedures at risk.
Besides, it seems to me that all MK defenders have “from the inside” a monopoly of correctly informed opinions, while unpleasant information has automatically to be interpreted as boloney… “from the outside”. Is this what I shall stand up for?
With the companys past record, and current financial state, I doubt the CAA will be taking any chances or giving the benefit of the doubt.
Perhaps their business model has run its course and is no longer suitable for Europe. How much longer can they keep going without substantial new investment in modern fuel efficient aircraft ?
I feel sorry for the staff, having been in their situation before. I saw the writing on the wall and moved on to a better opportunity.
Some more trivia. Pilot involved in the first crash was also involved in the third.
Reminds me of the last months of Laker.Some great people there as well but unless the lessors and the banks play ball there will be little investment for more fuel efficient aircraft. The 747 100/200 frieghters have unfortunatly had their day.
snarfel: you referred to crappy maintenance with your link. However that was the Halifax "affair". Now.... as "unfortunate" that YHZ was, I don't think anyone here, even the "insiders" would secretly blame MM.
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