Cimber Sterling - Danish regional announces bankruptcy
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Essex
Posts: 57
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Cimber Sterling - Danish regional announces bankruptcy
Apparently the investors in Cimber Sterling Denmarks regional airline have said they will no longer support the carrierand it has announced bankruptcy this morning. Cimber operates a fleet of ATR 42 /72 bombardier RJs and 737S which are apparently planned for disposal.
Cimber also ops flights for SAS.
I am roaming atm and i couldnt get cimber.com to load but the news is via reuters on google. Such a tough time for aviation..esp regional.
Cimber also ops flights for SAS.
I am roaming atm and i couldnt get cimber.com to load but the news is via reuters on google. Such a tough time for aviation..esp regional.
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Up north
Posts: 1,657
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Cimber Sterling goes bust...
Really sad day for all the staff (probably) loosing their jobs...
From Danish "The Copenhagen Post":
Good luck to everybody in finding new jobs!
From Danish "The Copenhagen Post":
Cimber Sterling goes bankrupt
Ray Weaver
May 3, 2012 - 11:21
Passengers left holding worthless tickets after airline cancels all routes
The sign says, "Office closed due to bankruptcy."
The Danish airline Cimber Sterling has declared bankruptcy after its owners decided not to continue their financial support of the company.
“Because of this, the board of directors has decided to declare the company bankrupt,” the company said in a statement.
The statement goes on to say that all of the airline’s flights are “provisionally cancelled” and that flyers that had purchased travel insurance would receive a refund from the Travel Guarantee Fund.
Travellers who did not purchase travel insurance are pretty much out of luck.
Jan Palmer, Cimber’s CEO, said he was most concerned about the airline’s customers.
"This is a sad day for Danish aviation, for Cimber Sterling and for me personally," Palmer told Jyllands-Posten. “But it is far worse for those passengers that have been left holding tickets.”
Jesper Hansen and his wife wound up stranded in Rome with a pair of worthless Cimber Sterling tickets. He did not purchase travel insurance when he booked the flights and now must buy two new tickets to get back to Denmark. Hansen acknowledged that not buying the insurance was probably a mistake.
"It would probably have been smarter to play it safe during these times when airlines are having trouble making money,” he told Jyllands-Posten.
The bankruptcy hits domestic routes connecting Copenhagen Airport to Karup, Bornholm, Sønderborg and Billund especially hard because Cimber Sterling was the only company flying from those smaller airports to the capital. Passengers from Aarhus and Aalborg can still get to and from Copenhagen on SAS.
SAS has announced it is adding flights in light of the development but acknowledged that the bankruptcy of Cimber Sterling, which was their partner on several routes, will affect some SAS flights.
"It is inevitable that this situation will affect SAS traffic,” the company wrote in a statement. “Our priority is those customers that purchased tickets from SAS.”
SAS’s statement calls Cimber Sterling’s bankruptcy “deeply regrettable" and says that SAS is working to get schedules back to normal as soon as possible, although they were not sure when that would be.
A spokesperson from Copenhagen Airport said they are working to fill the gap left by Cimber Sterling.
"We are looking at what we can do to fill the hole,” the airport's communications officer, Anne Munck, told Jyllands-Posten. “These cancellations will not affect other traffic at Copenhagen Airport.”
Cimber had suffered financial difficulties over the past couple of years, leading to its partial sale to Ukrainian billionaire Ihor Kolomoyskyi in August 2011. It was his Cypriot-based company, Mansvell, that pulled the plug.
The Sønderborg-based carrier had operated for nearly 62 years since its founding as Cimber Air in 1950. It gained the Sterling brand when it bought Sterling Airlines in 2008. The company operated about 25 planes.
What will ultimately happen to Cimber Sterling’s routes, equipment – and more than 600 employees - is still uncertain.
The company said that it hopes to resume flying some routes in the future to improve its value to any possible buyers.
Ray Weaver
May 3, 2012 - 11:21
Passengers left holding worthless tickets after airline cancels all routes
The sign says, "Office closed due to bankruptcy."
The Danish airline Cimber Sterling has declared bankruptcy after its owners decided not to continue their financial support of the company.
“Because of this, the board of directors has decided to declare the company bankrupt,” the company said in a statement.
The statement goes on to say that all of the airline’s flights are “provisionally cancelled” and that flyers that had purchased travel insurance would receive a refund from the Travel Guarantee Fund.
Travellers who did not purchase travel insurance are pretty much out of luck.
Jan Palmer, Cimber’s CEO, said he was most concerned about the airline’s customers.
"This is a sad day for Danish aviation, for Cimber Sterling and for me personally," Palmer told Jyllands-Posten. “But it is far worse for those passengers that have been left holding tickets.”
Jesper Hansen and his wife wound up stranded in Rome with a pair of worthless Cimber Sterling tickets. He did not purchase travel insurance when he booked the flights and now must buy two new tickets to get back to Denmark. Hansen acknowledged that not buying the insurance was probably a mistake.
"It would probably have been smarter to play it safe during these times when airlines are having trouble making money,” he told Jyllands-Posten.
The bankruptcy hits domestic routes connecting Copenhagen Airport to Karup, Bornholm, Sønderborg and Billund especially hard because Cimber Sterling was the only company flying from those smaller airports to the capital. Passengers from Aarhus and Aalborg can still get to and from Copenhagen on SAS.
SAS has announced it is adding flights in light of the development but acknowledged that the bankruptcy of Cimber Sterling, which was their partner on several routes, will affect some SAS flights.
"It is inevitable that this situation will affect SAS traffic,” the company wrote in a statement. “Our priority is those customers that purchased tickets from SAS.”
SAS’s statement calls Cimber Sterling’s bankruptcy “deeply regrettable" and says that SAS is working to get schedules back to normal as soon as possible, although they were not sure when that would be.
A spokesperson from Copenhagen Airport said they are working to fill the gap left by Cimber Sterling.
"We are looking at what we can do to fill the hole,” the airport's communications officer, Anne Munck, told Jyllands-Posten. “These cancellations will not affect other traffic at Copenhagen Airport.”
Cimber had suffered financial difficulties over the past couple of years, leading to its partial sale to Ukrainian billionaire Ihor Kolomoyskyi in August 2011. It was his Cypriot-based company, Mansvell, that pulled the plug.
The Sønderborg-based carrier had operated for nearly 62 years since its founding as Cimber Air in 1950. It gained the Sterling brand when it bought Sterling Airlines in 2008. The company operated about 25 planes.
What will ultimately happen to Cimber Sterling’s routes, equipment – and more than 600 employees - is still uncertain.
The company said that it hopes to resume flying some routes in the future to improve its value to any possible buyers.
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Posts: 1,879
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
As ReallyAnnoyed says, a very sad day for Danish aviation, marking the end of not one, but two airlines which have been part of Danish aviation for the best part of half a century.
Cimber has been around since the late 1950s and was one of very few operators of the VFW-614, a German built commuter aircraft.
Sterling began operation in 1963, initially with DC6s, then operated Caravelles until the early 1980s. It then acquired 727s; it was merged with Cimber in 2009.
I guess the CRJ200s - an aircraft which most large carriers have been trying to get rid of, due to fuel costs - can't have helped things.
JetPhotos.Net Photo » OY-RJJ (CN: 7784) Cimber Sterling Airlines Bombardier CRJ-200ER by John Fitzpatrick
Cimber has been around since the late 1950s and was one of very few operators of the VFW-614, a German built commuter aircraft.
Sterling began operation in 1963, initially with DC6s, then operated Caravelles until the early 1980s. It then acquired 727s; it was merged with Cimber in 2009.
I guess the CRJ200s - an aircraft which most large carriers have been trying to get rid of, due to fuel costs - can't have helped things.
JetPhotos.Net Photo » OY-RJJ (CN: 7784) Cimber Sterling Airlines Bombardier CRJ-200ER by John Fitzpatrick
The CRJs were a disaster for Maersk and in my opinion contributed to the downfall of the carrier. Although they may have been suited on short domestic type routes, they certainly wern't suitable for BA's business class. The passengers said so and left in their droves!
If Maersk had stayed with all Boeings then the outlook would have been better.
If Maersk had stayed with all Boeings then the outlook would have been better.
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Tellus
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A sad day for Danish aviation indeed. I remember a couple of years ago when Cimber hadn't yet bought Sterling. Sterling was a pretty big airline back then, especially in the low cost market. I flew with them about one week prior to their bankruptcy, in a Boeing 737-700 on a short route between two scandinavian cities. We were about five passengers in the whole cabin and the flight attendants didn't look very happy...
However, I never understood how they made any money under Cimbers ownership either (obviously they didn't). They flew all these strange routes, like from Copenhagen to the island of Bornholm in a Boeing 737. I'm no expert, but that doesn't sound profitable at all.
There aren't many Danish airlines left now,? Besides SAS, the only carriers I can come to think of is Sun Air of Denmark and DAT.
However, I never understood how they made any money under Cimbers ownership either (obviously they didn't). They flew all these strange routes, like from Copenhagen to the island of Bornholm in a Boeing 737. I'm no expert, but that doesn't sound profitable at all.
There aren't many Danish airlines left now,? Besides SAS, the only carriers I can come to think of is Sun Air of Denmark and DAT.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Essex
Posts: 57
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I have to agree with the seniments expressed that this is a sad day for aviation with both Cimber Sterling & bmibaby effectively bowing out. I was only in Copenhagen a few weeks ago and it was the first time I'd seen the 737's with the viking livery on the tail. They were impressive looking aircraft and and always it was a pleasure to see and hear the ATR's.
There are so many hundreds of people that work tirelessly at these airlines, that take pride in building the reputation of the airlines and create what must be like extended families. It is always sad, I think, when an airline ceases. I think airlines are more than just businesses. They envoke other emotions, beit of patriotism or safety, something homely or exotic.
It seems that the way of the world right now is that "big is best". Only the biggest airlines with the deepest pockets can survive. I don't like this personally, I'd rather there be a mix of airlines, of choices.
It's good that we have Ryanair, EasyJet, Norweigian, but equally it's good that we have SAS, Finnair, the 'legacies'. But so to it's important that we have the regionals. Unfortunately without the critical mass, they don't always have the financial cushion to work through the bad times.
Finncomm is now Flybe Nordic, Wideroe (although retaining it's livery) is now SAS, Aer Arann now operates only under Aer Lingus Regional. Our skies are going the way of the USA. Every airport will see the same few carriers.
I feel somewhat guilty for starting this thread, and for making further comment since I have not been fortunate enough to fly with either Cimber Sterling or bmibaby. However that doesn't lessen my thoughts to the people that care about what they do, how their company's are perceived and the pride they have in the brands that serve the public.
This really is a tough, unforgiving and sometimes heartless industry.
So whilst I may not have sampled the services, I would, since I started this depressing thread, like to say best of luck to everyone that has worked in the Cimber, Sterling, bmibaby. None of us ever knows what the future really holds, but let us all hope that better things will come.
There are so many hundreds of people that work tirelessly at these airlines, that take pride in building the reputation of the airlines and create what must be like extended families. It is always sad, I think, when an airline ceases. I think airlines are more than just businesses. They envoke other emotions, beit of patriotism or safety, something homely or exotic.
It seems that the way of the world right now is that "big is best". Only the biggest airlines with the deepest pockets can survive. I don't like this personally, I'd rather there be a mix of airlines, of choices.
It's good that we have Ryanair, EasyJet, Norweigian, but equally it's good that we have SAS, Finnair, the 'legacies'. But so to it's important that we have the regionals. Unfortunately without the critical mass, they don't always have the financial cushion to work through the bad times.
Finncomm is now Flybe Nordic, Wideroe (although retaining it's livery) is now SAS, Aer Arann now operates only under Aer Lingus Regional. Our skies are going the way of the USA. Every airport will see the same few carriers.
I feel somewhat guilty for starting this thread, and for making further comment since I have not been fortunate enough to fly with either Cimber Sterling or bmibaby. However that doesn't lessen my thoughts to the people that care about what they do, how their company's are perceived and the pride they have in the brands that serve the public.
This really is a tough, unforgiving and sometimes heartless industry.
So whilst I may not have sampled the services, I would, since I started this depressing thread, like to say best of luck to everyone that has worked in the Cimber, Sterling, bmibaby. None of us ever knows what the future really holds, but let us all hope that better things will come.
Join Date: May 2004
Location: London
Posts: 40
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Just the Airline or the whole group?
Could someone shed any light on this sad story - Has the whole group been declared bankrupt, ie Is the maintenance base also closed or is it "just" the operational airline? Truly a sad day for Danish and European aviation I remember how great it was to see the old Sterling colours back in the air in 2009 on the 737s and remember the Cimber 262s and Sterling 72s and Caravelles belching black smoke with great affection.
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: EFHK (Finland)
Age: 62
Posts: 96
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Danish paper Jyllandsposten reports that Flybe Nordic battles for the entire ex-Cimber domestic network, all 15 aircraft and the staff of 250. There is a fleet commonality around ex-Cimber's and Flybe Nordic's (ex-FinnComm) ATR-42/72 fleets.
Flybe Nordic battling for Cimber estate : 11 Oceans Iceway
Flybe Nordic battling for Cimber estate : 11 Oceans Iceway
