Al E. Vator
24th Mar 2005, 13:50
What exactly does the "Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation' do except mouth off about others who dare to tread where they as individuals are too useless to do.
Armchair experts who are quoted by the media (more armchair experts) as knowledgable in their field. How? Why?
What have Ian Thomas and the prat that own this "Centre" actually done for aviation except leach money out of it for their own selfish ends.
Parasites..............
This article reminds me all too well of "Operation Sewn Up" dear chaps. Hold our heads up high over that little effort do we?
(Qualification: above message compiled after consumption of adequate lubricating fluids - potential for regret later!)
========================
From Todays Sydney Morning Herald
Nothin' but grey skies do some see
By Scott Rochfort
March 25, 2005
On a wing and a prayer
Paul Stoddart is facing an uphill battle to have OzJet in the air by late August, with the carrier yet to lodge a formal application with the safety regulator to operate services and yet to sign several key commercial agreements it claims it already has in place.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority is expected to scrutinise OzJet's plans to operate 30-year-old Boeing 737-200s and it could take up to 12 months for the airline to get an Aircraft Operators Certificate.
OzJet chief executive Hans van Pelt has dismissed talk the airline is behind schedule.
He said the airline's planned timetable to establish itself at its new Adelaide base and start services within five months were "moving ahead nicely".
As for delays in OzJet gaining its certificate, he said: "The people saying it are completely unaware of when we first [met] CASA and when we got the balls rolling."
But a CASA spokesman recently told the Herald it would take at least six months for OzJet to get its AOC. Virgin Blue took 10 months to get its certificate in 2000.
"OzJet is now in the throes of appointing the final people to run the airline," van Pelt said, referring to a chief pilot, head engineer and maintenance controller.
Stoddart recently returned to the UK before completing negotiations with liquidators KordaMentha over the purchase of four BA146s from the failed Ansett.
OzJet, meanwhile, claims on its website that it has a "partnership with Ansett Aviation Engineering Services". But this appears premature.
The former Ansett maintenance division has yet to sign any agreement to maintain OzJet's proposed fleet of 10 aircraft, including the four previously owned Ansett.
At a media conference in Sydney last week, van Pelt said OzJet had three of the former Ansett BAE 146s undergoing heavy maintenance "D" checks in Melbourne, indicating the company already owned the aircraft.
But he appeared to contradict himself on Thursday when he said a contract to buy the BAE 146s was "close to being finalised".
Despite OzJet still failing to show any hard evidence of the airline possibly gaining approval to fly by August, van Pelt said: "I'm yet to meet a person that says that this isn't going to work."
But there are plenty who doubt OzJet's chances of survival.
"I would have thought the model was vulnerable to say the least," Ian Thomas, a director of the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation, said.
Thomas said the key problem was OzJet's focus on business travellers, in that it would be chasing a market tightly guarded by Qantas and aggressively pursued by Virgin Blue.
Shortly after issuing its third profit warning since August, Virgin is desperate to stem its falling yields and dependence on price-sensitive budget travellers by lifting the proportion of business travellers on its jets.
This was seen recently with Virgin launching its corporate-focused "Blue Plus" fare. The ticket offers passengers fully flexible refundable tickets, a 32 kilogram baggage allowance, free entry to Blue Room lounges and priority check-in.
Virgin's attempts to crack the corporate market are set to become more aggressive when Patrick Corp boss Chris Corrigan moves to take management control of the airline next month. It is believed Corrigan favours Virgin adopting a frequent-flyer scheme.
"There's not a lot of room in the market for a new entrant," Thomas said, adding that any airline willing to take on Virgin Blue, Jetstar and Qantas would need to have extremely deep pockets.
With the backing of Dutch property group Muermans, OzJet claims to have $70 million in funds.
Another major disadvantage for OzJet will be being based in Adelaide. Pundits say OzJet could incur hefty operating costs - not only from its fuel-guzzling fleet of 30-year-old 737-200s - but by having to set up offices in Melbourne (where it plans to maintain its fleet) and Sydney.
Remainder of article here:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/Business/Nothin-but-grey-skies-do-some-see/2005/03/24/1111525290312.html
Armchair experts who are quoted by the media (more armchair experts) as knowledgable in their field. How? Why?
What have Ian Thomas and the prat that own this "Centre" actually done for aviation except leach money out of it for their own selfish ends.
Parasites..............
This article reminds me all too well of "Operation Sewn Up" dear chaps. Hold our heads up high over that little effort do we?
(Qualification: above message compiled after consumption of adequate lubricating fluids - potential for regret later!)
========================
From Todays Sydney Morning Herald
Nothin' but grey skies do some see
By Scott Rochfort
March 25, 2005
On a wing and a prayer
Paul Stoddart is facing an uphill battle to have OzJet in the air by late August, with the carrier yet to lodge a formal application with the safety regulator to operate services and yet to sign several key commercial agreements it claims it already has in place.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority is expected to scrutinise OzJet's plans to operate 30-year-old Boeing 737-200s and it could take up to 12 months for the airline to get an Aircraft Operators Certificate.
OzJet chief executive Hans van Pelt has dismissed talk the airline is behind schedule.
He said the airline's planned timetable to establish itself at its new Adelaide base and start services within five months were "moving ahead nicely".
As for delays in OzJet gaining its certificate, he said: "The people saying it are completely unaware of when we first [met] CASA and when we got the balls rolling."
But a CASA spokesman recently told the Herald it would take at least six months for OzJet to get its AOC. Virgin Blue took 10 months to get its certificate in 2000.
"OzJet is now in the throes of appointing the final people to run the airline," van Pelt said, referring to a chief pilot, head engineer and maintenance controller.
Stoddart recently returned to the UK before completing negotiations with liquidators KordaMentha over the purchase of four BA146s from the failed Ansett.
OzJet, meanwhile, claims on its website that it has a "partnership with Ansett Aviation Engineering Services". But this appears premature.
The former Ansett maintenance division has yet to sign any agreement to maintain OzJet's proposed fleet of 10 aircraft, including the four previously owned Ansett.
At a media conference in Sydney last week, van Pelt said OzJet had three of the former Ansett BAE 146s undergoing heavy maintenance "D" checks in Melbourne, indicating the company already owned the aircraft.
But he appeared to contradict himself on Thursday when he said a contract to buy the BAE 146s was "close to being finalised".
Despite OzJet still failing to show any hard evidence of the airline possibly gaining approval to fly by August, van Pelt said: "I'm yet to meet a person that says that this isn't going to work."
But there are plenty who doubt OzJet's chances of survival.
"I would have thought the model was vulnerable to say the least," Ian Thomas, a director of the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation, said.
Thomas said the key problem was OzJet's focus on business travellers, in that it would be chasing a market tightly guarded by Qantas and aggressively pursued by Virgin Blue.
Shortly after issuing its third profit warning since August, Virgin is desperate to stem its falling yields and dependence on price-sensitive budget travellers by lifting the proportion of business travellers on its jets.
This was seen recently with Virgin launching its corporate-focused "Blue Plus" fare. The ticket offers passengers fully flexible refundable tickets, a 32 kilogram baggage allowance, free entry to Blue Room lounges and priority check-in.
Virgin's attempts to crack the corporate market are set to become more aggressive when Patrick Corp boss Chris Corrigan moves to take management control of the airline next month. It is believed Corrigan favours Virgin adopting a frequent-flyer scheme.
"There's not a lot of room in the market for a new entrant," Thomas said, adding that any airline willing to take on Virgin Blue, Jetstar and Qantas would need to have extremely deep pockets.
With the backing of Dutch property group Muermans, OzJet claims to have $70 million in funds.
Another major disadvantage for OzJet will be being based in Adelaide. Pundits say OzJet could incur hefty operating costs - not only from its fuel-guzzling fleet of 30-year-old 737-200s - but by having to set up offices in Melbourne (where it plans to maintain its fleet) and Sydney.
Remainder of article here:
http://www.smh.com.au/news/Business/Nothin-but-grey-skies-do-some-see/2005/03/24/1111525290312.html