Evolante - thanks for that information.
Holt CJ - indeed so; and just as it was getting interesting, as well! I suspect that it might assist the Receivers if their attention was drawn to what has been uncovered.
From today's Scotsman:
BWA collapses with £1m debt
Jane Gillard Northern Business Reporter
AN AIRLINE which transports offshore workers from Aberdeen to Shetland will go into receivership just two weeks after five of its aircraft were grounded after a dispute over landing fees.
Southend-based British World Airways, which employs about 50 people in Aberdeen, had debts of nearly £1 million which were exacerbated by a downturn in the aviation sector following 11 September.
Management said yesterday the company had collapsed after the leases on two of their aircraft were cancelled on Thursday.
The airline, one of the longest surviving independent airlines in the UK, established in 1946 as Silver City Airways, operates 10 aircraft from London’s Stansted airport and Aberdeen Airport.
Now all of its aircraft are grounded and the 320 staff have been told to clear their desks.
British World Airways specialised in supplying back-up aircraft to other carries, including British Airways, Air France and easyJet.
The airline was also subcontracted by Bristow Helicopters to transport about 250 oil workers a day from Aberdeen to Scatsta on Shetland. Workers were then transferred offshore by helicopter.
Bristow awarded British World Airways the sub-contract at the end of 1999 and the airline had been operating the route for 20 months.
However, Bristow’s contingency plans swung into action yesterday and oil workers were taken to and from Shetland on two aircraft operated by Flightline, also based in Southend. No passengers were affected by the change of carrier on the route.
A spokesman for Bristow said Flightline was expected to continue to operate the Aberdeen to Scatsta route until January when a permanent arrangement would be made.
"At the moment we have a number of options and will assess these over the next few weeks," the spokesman said.
Yesterday, British World Airways managing director Chris Bakhurst said: "I and my colleagues have been trying to find a rescue package.
"But with the state of the aviation industry, this morning we felt it was impossible to continue to trade and in fact every one of our aircraft is grounded now and there will be no more flying and the staff will have to clean out their desks."
But Bakhurst said there was a ray of hope for the 50 Aberdeen-based employees.
"We are very hopeful that whoever takes over our flying for the oil consortium may be able to take on some of our staff."
The company said the collapse of two customers, both European airlines, left the airline with debts of close to £1 million.
The final straw came on Thursday when BAE Systems decided to terminate the lease of two aircraft and soon British World Airways other lessors followed suit. A receiver is expected to be appointed early next week.