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.