MDS, can we stick to facts here please?
- There are 5 AOC's in the Norwegian group not 7!
- You claim that 70% of the fleet is based in Ireland for tax purposes, again nowhere close and it isn't for tax purposes. As Norway isn't an EU member, an EU AOC was required to get access to long haul markets hence NAI was set up. NAI however, was always supposed to be a Swedish operation based on the old flyNordic AOC which was kept dormant for that purpose once the takeover was completed. However, banking regulations in place in Sweden at the time had a clause that stated that in case of airline bankruptcies, the guarantors had no right to reposess their airframes which was something that the Americans had a problem with given that the aircraft order was facilitated by US ExIm financing, thus Sweden was no longer possible. Pretty much the only choice left then was Ireland and NAI was set up as an Irish operation. Since then, said banking regulation has been removed from Swedish law and NAI has now been downsized somewhat in favour of the Swedish AOC with over half the NAI fleet being placed there.
- Thai crews being employed on the cheap? The BKK base is no more! Say no more...
I fail to see the points you're trying to make! Lufthansa is being bailed out by the German government despite the Lufthansa Group consisting of several AOC's, several airlines mainly on non-German AOC's. SAS is being bailed out by Sweden, Denmark and Norway including their SAIL operation. The Polish government is bailing out LOT, despite the fact that the operation isn't only Poland based, TUI is being bailed out by the German government and what proportion of the operation is German based? etc etc... Multinational airlines with transnational operations consisting of several AOC's are widespread so that particular argument doesn't wash with me!
I will agree that mistakes have been made, but these were made by the previous regime that has now been replaced with seasoned professionals at the helm. Not airline managers no, but the so-called airline managers nearly ran the company in the ground. Having a retail specialist in charge that is an expert in branding is exactly what the company needs, boosting ancillary revenue is exactly what's needed, especially to make low cost long haul a success. Let's not write the company off just yet!