I was gazing into my crystal ball (OK, an upturned whiskey glass) and I saw CHC pulling all their machines out of Nigeria and them being replaced on a one-for-one basis by a subsidiary of Bristow.
Of course, the problem there is getting the Government to sign onto the deal, but there are ways around that one.
Arik started after your departure and now have one of the most modern fixed wing fleets in the country. As you can gather from reading the African Aviation page, they're not without controversy (particularly concerning allegations made in the press about their initial funding). However, they are being used quite a lot by companies now and in Port Harcourt, for example, they're one of only 2 operators still operating into NAF Base since Virgin Nigeria pulled out. Check in can be rather chaotic (but then that hasn't changed with any of the airlines since you left ) but they seem to be doing quite well. Bristow use them a lot for flights to/from NAF Base.
I'm surprised nobody seem to have noticed yet that Aero national staff have been on strike today. I believe it's because they haven't been paid. Many of their helicopters were still flying because they were manned by expats, so it seems they were allowed to go in to work. With all their other problems this can't bode well for the company
Trogs Ol' Lad....looking to take an escorted ramble through the Swamp are we? You might become a victim of a reverse ransom situation you keep this up!
Back in the good days of Aero they had a partner with a bit of class, refinement and good taste who knew that black shoes go with a charcoal suit, unles you are Italian. Then in comes a brash, arrogant new partner convinced that they know it all and haven't realised that being dressed properly is being appropriate to the occasion and that for them this means always wearing black suits and brown suede shoes. No wonder things have got to the sorry state they are now. I have a bad feeling that the divorce is going to be messy as the guidance counselling hasn't worked. With the new young-bloods of the family wishing to have a more active participation in the running of Aero, look for a decline in standards and the company going the way of Okada
Does anyone have any information on this new start up based out of Nigeria,being a collaboration between Evergreen helicopters U.S.A and Virgin Nigeria?
I understand some contracts are about been signed with the oil majors,rattled by CHC/AERO squabbles.
Rumour is that all national staff who participated in the illegal strike have been dismissed. Evergreen are poised to take over contracts with Agip and Total and Aero preparing to take at least 4 helicopters off contract and return them to CHC.
Big bank owned by powerful family versus Aero employees who participated in an illegal strike - who would you put your money on?
I have been hearing that there is great uncertainty in Vancouver about what is going to happen. None of it has been particularly good to date, and none of it looks to be much better for the future.
The new owners do not appear to be very happy about the entire Nigerian situation that they have found on their hands. They are not in a position to negotiate but they are certainly in a position to lose everything that was ever put into that "god-forsaken country" !
So the new owners have found themselves with a mountain of debt and unpaid bills in Nigeria. They have come to the realization that many of the parts of the organization they bought, have no value - reference the past lay-offs at Heli-One and the second round that is rumoured about to hit any day now. They have already been removing senior Heli-One management in YVR, not to mention shutting it down everywhere else! There is apparently grave concern over the internal operational cost structure as a result of move to YVR in the first place. Lots of old helicopters and surplus parts for sale that no-one wants to buy in this market - and the value on the street for these items is quite a bit different today than the book value at the time of purchase!
So what next? There seem to be more nervous employees than confident ones and everyone seems to have come to the conclusion that the end of the gravy train is here, so get ready to face the outside world. There is much talk about the poor pay-offs some long time employees received and this is causing even greater concern - the pay-out was always considered a lottery bonus, not anymore it seems! The general consensus around the company appears to be that it is about to get a whole lot worse.
It looks as if the future of 2 once-great companies are now in the balance . Maybe CHC is like the Roman empire whose decline has been attributed to a combination of such factors as decadence, monetary trouble, Imperial incompetence and chance, amongst others. Edward Gibbon's fixed 476 for the Fall of Rome that's when the Germanic Odoacer deposed the last Roman emperor to rule the western part of the Roman Empire. Maybe history will fix 2005 for the decline of CHC because that's when it purchased Schreiner Airways and with it, a 40% shareholding in Aero. CHC seems to have been mismanaged for a while and the new owners must be pondering exactly what they really bought. Aero had a good symbiosis with Schreiner, but the purchasing of Schreiner by CHC seems to have changed the nature of that relationship. The meaning of the term symbiosis is also in flux now, and where it once meant a relationship from which both parties benefit, such as the old Aero/Schreiner relationship, which may have been a commensalist relationship, the one between Aero/CHC appears to be more parasitic - but which one is the parasite and which the host? Sadly, it seems the relationship may end up with both parties harmed
I have heard some rumblings regarding Evergreen and some un-named party to joint venture into the Nigerian arena. What news have you heard, and how credible is it, regarding Virgin as the partner?
) but they seem to be
On Strike??
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