Hmmmm let me see 2 posts in your entire pprune career. And you're so lazy you just copy pasted the first one. Well done!

I am one of those people who only post when there is something to be said! I fly with Loganair when I can but have to fly Highland sometimes. I may not have posted often but are the point I have made not valid?

Can you name another airline that refused to use an ambulift (no weather issues) and takes the patient out to the aircraft in a rusty wheelchair covered in bird excrament? Since been replaced I believe as a result of numerous complaints from health authorities, but did it really need to get to that stage.

I flew back with the same woman the next day and only after much complaining by her family was something done about it. It is a sad day when it takes someone to complain to help a struggling 80+ cancer patient onto an aircraft.

As for the lazy comment I resent that! I was on a rant and wanted to see what the franchise partner readers had to say afterall the Flybe thread is much bigger than this one.

The Jetstream 31 cannot accomodate an Ambulift by way of access door / steps design. When I flew this aircraft (not with Highland Airways), wheelchair passengers were unfortunately denied travel. This was always made clear at the time of booking. Before anyone jumps on the wagon of discrimination, the policy was accepted by the CAA and airports from which we operated.

Too often we see passengers booked on flights who do not declare pertinent disabilities prior to checking in. I once gave in to a paralysed passenger who politely insisted on being allowed travel on a J31 flight. Despite the crew's best efforts to assist the gentleman on board, the narrow rear galley precluded this and he had to crawl unassisted from the step along to his seat. On this occasion I broke several rules and left myself wide open to prosecution should we have had to evacuate. In hindsight I would now stand firm in denying travel for this very reason.

The Jetstream can use an ambulift, and I used to use one almost daily in Highland. However, on the western isles, the service is provided by HIAL's fire service, not Highland Airways. They have some very strict rules about when the ambulift can be used, which, if I recall is no more than 15kts of wind. Try and find a day with less wind than that in BEB or SYY and you begin to see the problem.
The health board and local doctors have no idea when booking pax on travel for hospital. How are you supposed to board pax who weighed well in excess of 130 kgs, only have with one leg, are blind and completely immobile. I don't think that a Saab crew would have an better luck that the HWY crew.

Personally, I would be deny boarding to any pax who could not carry themselves from the ambulift to their seat, or if it was too windy for the ambulift and they could not climb the steps unaided. It's not the ground or flight crews job to physically manhandle pax into the aircraft. If they need that level of assitance, then get them on the air ambulance or send them by road. Its safer for all involved.

From talking to the family air ambulance travel was denied and the ambulift was used when disembarking on the return leg when the weather was similar. She has been travelling by air ambulance since the incident. The pax was able to move from lift to seat but she was not told about the step in the middle of the plane and tripped.

I don't really know what you mean by not their responsibility. It clearly states on the website of most airlines that assisted boarding is available. If you ask for it and it is granted surely then they are responsible?

Special handling of disabled passengers at the airport is the responsibility of the airport owner under European Regulation 1107/2006. If you don't think the procedures put in place are appropriate or compliant please take it up with the airport operator rather than attributing this to any of the airlines who operate through there. The same goes if you don't like the car parking charges or anything else about the airport facilities.

If the health authorities are booking space on aircraft which are inadequate for the condition of patients, cannot dock to the ambulift, etc then that is something to take up with the health authorites, to ensure that they book space on or charter aircraft of adequate capability rather than the cheapest option and hoping the poor crews will somehow work it out on the day.

HA Staff in Syy do not possess a pair of binoculars - stop making things up.
Had one been requested and it was serviceable it would have been used. Staff do not 'refuse' to help passengers.
If this is true PM me the date it happened. I don't recall this happening but will check. In 4 years of operating the route it has never happened to me so I would say it's a very infrequent occurence.

You seem to have it in for Hwy for some reason. I don't care, anyone who sees a one post wonder disregards them anyway. However I will not watch you denegrate or call in to doubt the commitment of our staff out West. To a man they are excellent, and often go beyond the call of duty assisting pax who quite frankly should be on a stretcher in the back of a King Air.

Mind you I doubt very much you've ever seen the inside of a Jetstream never mind actually travelled with us. :mad:

How did you get the ambulift ramp to fit against the cabin floor of a J31? The check strap and handrail of the door were always in the way as far as I can remember?

They have a extension which tapers which fits quite nicely between the door sides and avoids the rails.

The extensions are present on the SYY lift which is the self propelled van and Ben which is the trailer version operated by the fire men.

If you want a look at one there is one fitted to the ambulift trailer parked beside the fire station in Inverness.

To be honest HWY must shift 100's of NHS patent's between the Islands and all the pilots get to know the regulars pretty well. And certainly getting called love or your first name by the pax is the norm while boarding. And long may it continue for the guys who continue to fly the route. I must admit I had a bit of dust in my eye when the blind lady with leukaemia from BEN passed on.

Also you seem to forget the staff on the ground have lived on the islands for years and know virtually all the locals since they were children. Which does produce some amusing conversations when ID is requested "What do you want that for hen, I used to change your nappy"

As for tripping over the main spar unfortunately its an on going problem with the J31/32 series I think every operator of them has had issues with people who trip on them even after being warned verbally, a high viz cover being placed over it and a warning light on the cabin ceiling telling you it's there. I can't really see how a ambulift pax would get that far up the aircraft as they were normally seated in the second back double.

As for the state of the ambi seats they were all replaced about 3 years ago.

Is this a bitter and twisted poke at highland because the Heath Board have refused the King Air for transfer?

Your really must tell us the date and sector which this event occurred on. The posters that have replied to you from Highland are either ex Captains or Current ones stretching back over 4 years of operation of that route. Between us we have several thousand flights on that route. If an incident had occurred we would either have been involved or received paper work informing us of the event.

And re-reading your post I see the family have got their wish of the King Air transfer, good for them. But next time you sit down to read the newspaper and think the weather is blowing a gale and you can only see 750 meters down the road. The HWY pilots brought that newspaper to you and for all its faults the Jetstream is a superb ship for dealing with everything the west coast of scotland can throw at it.

well said that man. Bl00dy good aircraft the Jetstream for flying when the high wingers are checking their X wind limits:ok:

Nice one mad_jock. I have always been very impressed with the service, and I can't imagine where ifu090556 is coming from, except perhaps the competition.

Oaki seems to be on the west lately :ok:

Shes a bit Phat with the autopilot though

I thought some would like to see a couple of different faces of the western isle route which was filmed by one of the other Pilots.

What's happening with the contract in Finland at the moment. Has it been temporarily suspended for a while as it doesn't seem to have been flying for a while. Looking on Lappeenranta's booking system, flight's seem to start again mid-way through August? Are they waiting for G-EDAY to be ready for service? Seems to have been in INV for a while
Also, seems like G-NOSS is operating for Highland now, was on the mail contract this week in Scotland. Has this got a similar coat of paint to FARA or is it still in Coast Air's livery?

Regards
Sam

Is Highland Airways in trouble?
 

Is Highland Airways having technical difficulties with the website or does it signify something more serious?

Rumor has it that staff are being tolds whats happening tomorrow :confused:

Are flights still operating?

I tried the website too and it says 'sorry flight full' to all flights as far ahead as you can book. Technical problem or...?

The note on their website says:

"Sorry! we are currently unable to take any bookings ... please bear with us whilst we resolve technical difficulties."

Meeting called for 9am this morning............

doesnt sound good, good luck to everyone who works for them

BBC reporting on this story here :

BBC News - Concerns over future of Highland airline

Yeah Inverness getting told at nine am but SYY and BEB ....10am just shows you what they think of us who have been worrying for over a week now in the outstations!:mad:

With all due sympathy HWY: it's common for the furthest away to be the last to be told I'm afraid. There are a few other companies waiting for news on this one, not least the other aviation companies who want the cash from a potential large investor in HWY - it's you or them. Harsh but true. Someone's got to lose, but I think the industry as a whole (as well as the outer isles!!) would rather keep the Highlands' airline alive...

So what is the official line ? Is it in receivership, downsize ? some parts of the business remain ?

Thanks in advance

I really hope they survive. Its small regional airlines that give the aviation sector its character.

I recently read an article in Airliner World about HWY which got me worried. Everytime i read an article in Airliner World about small airlines they go bust. Do they get magazines in for free advertising or am i the kiss of death??

Good luck to all the HWY staff.

They have released a statement on their website: Highland Airways | Press centre

is it just me or would that press centre release make people not book a flight with them at all at the moment?

it really can't help can it?

I wonder why the Highland Airways Press release is dated 26th, ie tomorrow. Hopefully they will survive even if the management do not appear to know what day it is.

This is sad times , everytime so far that these staements have been issued the trouble just got worse . Hope they stop the booking

What was the outcome of the meetings today??

That press release doesnt say much and you still cannot book flights online.

I heard an Eastern Airways J41 go to Warton this morning, was this covering for Highland by any chance?

Beware of Greeks bearing gifts, and Jersey based investment companies !

Hope something works out for all the folk at Highland! It's an interesting place to work for a variety of reasons good and nearer the end bad, but those who have worked with Highland and truly invest (not monetary sense) in keeping the fleet flying and going that extra step above and beyond the call of duty will know what I'm talking about!

Flying to some remote but stunning places and meeting a variety of different people did make it special! But what really made Highland (IMOP) was way back when there was the family feel that the airline had. It gave staff the feeling that they were part of something where the company was not too big where you cannot voice an opinion and it would not be heard. The man AM himself I have a lot of time for. But I feel that as the company grew beyond it's small 'local' contracts, that 'family feel' was starting to dissapear, being driven by certain people wanting to 'manage' so that they had their own little empire.
Now 'that' voice which had an opinion was no longer being heard.

As an employee working from days when we used the daks and with the 406 and j31 doing most of the contracts u did everything you possibly could to keep the aircraft flying and it was appreciated that you went that extra mile, as i'm sure we are all aware any contract was welcome (no matter how diverse). As the company grew at a steady rate it retained that 'family' feel employing people who also seen what Highland had to offer. But as the company began to spread and the mangement buy-out was all done with the company changed as the rapid growth which Highland was not used to started to kick-back. It appeared to be that whatever you had to say did not count anymore, unless it meant getting them out the S**t. Again.

Whilst the additional income was welcomed it was never properly thought through. And when being told face-face not to do certain things, they continued to do so only to be left further out of pocket. To continue in such a manner was bound to end in vast losses. For a period of time highland was growing at a nice pace and there was a good feeling that things were getting better. But people I used to work with felt that any extra mile they had went to help the company out before was now expected the norm and add an extra 20 miles on top, with no extra thanks. When were these people going to wake up and realise that key and experienced staff were leaving being driven away by them and not answering the cries for help? Do they realise now? Prob not. Whilst this may appear exhaustive and a bit of a rant I feel this current situation could have been avoided. I know for a fact people who have left ,would still be there right now.

Again I hope that Highland does get the investment it needs (maybe get rid of a few j31's to help) and that the current staff can keep on in their jobs and get that same spirit which kept Highland going through the troubled times before (don't mention ATR) will get the airline back on its feet again as it has done before in the past. I don't see AM re-mortgaging his house this time to pay the staff.

Good luck to all!

It is now being reported that an investor will be announced within 48 hours and reservations are being resumed later today. Crisis over?

i think it's probably just the start of the crisis....

placing a block on your website so as not to allow reservations is hardly enticing people to book again in the imminent future is it?

Not wanting to p$$s on anyones parade but that was exactly the same statement that came from flyglobespan, and look what happened there, hope I am completely wrong.

Alternatively one may choose to view the fact that Highland withdrew the reservation function whilst it appeared they were in trouble as an entirely honourable action.
As a consumer I think that turning down income voluntarily to avoid the possibility of being unable to fulfil their part of the contract is to be applauded. It would have been all too easy for them to continue taking cash, fully aware that it is not with the best of intentions.
Perhaps other airlines acted like this in the past.......but I would propose that most keep taking money right up until the moment the doors are locked behind them.
Good luck Highland, you carry my best wishes and hopes for the future. Maybe for once we have an airline with some integrity in the upper ranks?

i too applaud the thought process, however acting with integrity could also be a little naiive in believing the public will return to the airline with open arms.

would you seriously book a seat on an airline openly stating that they are facing difficulties, have already stopped accepting bookings for a limited period, and have not yet 100% secured financial backing that is required to keep them afloat?

my money would stay in my pocket if i'm totally honest, even though i wish them all the best i would not want my money "trying" to keep them afloat.

it's bad enough trying to keep yourself amount with Mr Brown still "in charge"

More likely CAA Kingsway has a hand in this. They proberbly told Highland that until they have secured further funding they could fly but not accept further bookings. In a way it lessons the impact on stranded passengers if the company fails. Scheduled passengers are not protected by an ATOL. However it is also killing off the main revenue stream and if that stays off too long then there is know money to pay the bills.