Airlink PNG ceases operation

[Lando Calrissian]

This deserves a new thread.

Confirmed that Airlink has ceased operations as of Friday 27/07/07.

Good luck to all crew with logbooks great or small with finding other work ASAP. Heres hoping they can all be absorbed into other companies within the country.

[Animalclub]

That will certainly leave a big hole.
Good luck to all the staff.

[bizzybody]

anyone know the reason why?


sorry may be a bit behind the times

Bizz

[the wizard of auz]

Didn't I read somewhere that they just had their AOC reinstated?.
could be someone else though, I just thought I remembered it being Airlink.
mussbe I losim ting ting. :eek:

[123567]

Yes i can verify that Airlink has ceased operations - I got an e mail from one of their guys today telling me he's on his way home...:eek:

[geeup]

Airlink got the AOC back for 2 weeks before it had to pass a second audit / comply with the orginal issues. :sad:
EM TASO

[the wizard of auz]

I thought they got the AOC back because they fixed the original issues, and had to undergo another audit in 6 months to give them time to address other issues.
Oh well, another one bits the dust. :( good luck looking for work to the crew sand staff.

[Animalclub]

Does Egg with Teeth (I think JM Birrel coined that name) still have Pacific Helicopters?

[arrow28]

A real pity about the closure, hopefully the pilots will find positions soon. There are a lot of vacancies going for GA pilots. Check the AFAP website.

[Lando Calrissian]

Airline is finished, front page of today's Post Courier.

[Ricky Bobby]

Damn shame.

In all my years I have yet to come across a bunch of pilots that got along better with each other than the ND boys. Always a pleasure to fly with ex-ND guys and I hope the other companies grab as many of them as they can, they are not just quality puhlots, but quality people as well.

Good luck.

[Animalclub]

Can't read the words on the front page and the link in the news section refers one to another news item!!!

[troppo]

Animalclub here's the article... right click and open in new window seems to work.
www.postcourier.com.pg
Airlink
closes
down
TROUBLED third-level airline
Airlink has reportedly shut down
operations.
While no confirmation could be
secured from the management of
the airline at the weekend and last
night, staff reported they were
told last Friday afternoon the
operations of the airline, which
services rural Papua New Guinea,
have been closed.
Staff holding onto company
assets including cars were asked
to return them today while those
living in company provided and
rented accommodation have until
August 31 to move out, according
to a staff member who did not
want to be named.
Airline staff were in shock over
the weekend over the decision to
shut down operations. The decision
came four days after the Civil
Aviation Authority finally reissued
the airline’s operations
licence.
CAA suspended Airlink’s licence
on May 31, to allow it to carry out
a full audit of the airline after two
of its aircraft were involved in
accidents. One plane crashed
while flying over West New Britain
Province while the second
crashed on landing in Goroka. The
accidents occurred two weeks
apart.
It is understood the decision to
close operations is related to Airlink’s
Australian financier failing
to come up with the money to keep
the airline afloat.
It had been waiting on that since
the re-issuing of its licence last
Monday. Late last Friday afternoon,
the airline was told there
was no money for it.
Airlink operates out of Madang
to the two Sepik provinces, Highlands
and Mamose regions. It runs
a separate operation in the Islands
region and has 200 employees.

[troppo]

www.thenational.com.pg


Business difficulties

BUSINESS difficulties had forced third level airline Airlink to shut down, owner Mal Smith-Kela said yesterday.
But Mr Smith-Kela, who yesterday retained his Eastern Highlands Regional seat, refused to give details of the problems the airline was facing, saying politics was on his mind as the horse trading to form government picks up intensity.
There are difficulties facing the company, and the management had to make a decision in the best interest of the company, he told The National when approached in Goroka.
A visit to the Airlink office at Madang airport by The National revealed the place bare with skeleton staff manning the premises.
Guard Dog Security personnel were guarding the head office premises. On the tarmac in front of Airlink terminal were three of the third level airline’s planes sitting idle. The airline’s management was unavailable for comments yesterday.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Sir Peter Barter has described the closure of Airlink as sad and disappointing.
In a statement, Sir Peter said the closure would affect the transport of people and cargo, including vital medical supplies.
The outgoing Madang MP said he was disappointed in the airline closing down without any form of notification, which would provide an opportunity for other airlines and charter operators to see how they could fill the vacuum left.
“Obviously this will affect the tourism industries that have used the services of Airlink in their areas of operation,” Sir Peter said.
He said the closure of the company would harm the Madang economy, with people losing jobs.
Sir Peter said he understood the company was going into liquidation, and hoped that another airline would quickly take over the air services and staff that are being retrenched.

[Sharpie]

The National Thursday 2 August.

Grounding killed us: Airlink CEO

By SHEILA LASIBORI
AIRLINK suffered losses totalling more than K4million after it was grounded by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), its chief executive officer said yesterday.
Jon McMullen said that was the reason why the company decided to shut down its operations in PNG.
He said their eight fixed-wing aircraft, most of which were based at the headquarters in Madang, were grounded between May 27 and July 23 while the CAA conducted an audit of the company.
The audit came after the airline’s aircraft crashed.
Following the audit, it is understood that the CAA reissued Airlink an air
operating licence but the airline did not resume
operations.
“We have not restarted operations because we have been kept on the ground too long,” Mr McMullen said.
“Airlink is finished.”
He said most of the staff, of whom about 180 are nationals, would be seeking employment elsewhere while others were being retained to maintain the aircraft.
Mr McMullen disagreed with a statement from the Transport and Civil Aviation Department that the airline must give a 21-day notice if it wished to cease operation.
“We have 28 days to inform the department,” he said.
CAA’s deputy director for air safety regulations, Wilson Sagati, said he was surprised at Airlink’s sudden decision and that they were also waiting for the airline to give proper notice of its closure.
He said anyone wishing to operate Airlink’s former routes could apply to the CAA.

[Sharpie]

I wonder that if CAA had been on the ball and conducted regular audit checks over the past four to five years, would it have closed AL down. Rather a savage blow when maybe some blame could be directed to CAA itself!:rolleyes:

[Ricky Bobby]

I believe the company has been audited every 2 years? passed with no problems. A bunch of conspiracy theories over why this one went so pear shaped.

Pilots must be furious with management, poor buggers have been told all along that everything was fine, well start up again any day now. POM boys heard of the closure through the boys in Madang!! Now they are furiously PX'ing around and dropping in CV's trying to get a break. I feel for them, I know what it's like to be shafted by management and unemployed.

[markben]

Littlefrog,

Theory confirmed!! Pilots still employed, aircraft in GKA getting "rebranded" charter ops to begin soon, no more RPT. Oh, and no more pink flowers :ok:

but marker beacon still u/s :suspect:

[Lando Calrissian]

MS wants charter ops to start up. Apart from the management guys, I don't believe that too many crew are still being paid though and entitlements for all staff will be a huge payout. Tickets issued for PX were bouncing last week!.

Most have already found work with other companies in-country or have upcoming interviews with PX real soon.

[Ricky Bobby]

Thursday's Post Courier.
Airlink payout ‘upsetting’
AIRLINK staff in Madang are seeking redress over the “finish” entitlements paid to them by the company following its abrupt closure.
The Post-Courier was told the payout was made last Friday in two categories, K1000 for those who had worked five years or more and a fortnight’s wages (to be paid this week) for those who had served three years or less.
A group of staff, who were visibly distressed, described the payout as a “slap in the face” and are demanding company executives to come out and explain how these amounts were calculated.
One staff, who requested anonymity, claimed nothing was given to them in black and white as to how the payments were calculated.
“What we got on Friday does not reflect our efforts and we have reason to believe we have not been paid accordingly,” the staffer said.
“As staff employed by an airline we were not given a month’s notice as is supposed to be the case of their decision to close to get our selves prepared. Instead we were given a 30-minute notice with instructions to pack our personal effects and to leave the building.
“Many of us have families to take care of and our lives have been turned upside down,” he said.
Another said some had taken out school fee loans for their children and said they did not know where they wouldfind the money to repay the banks. “Some of our children are now nearing their exams and for this to happen is injustice to them as they are innocent as not only do they face the prospect of being thrown out of school but on the streets with no roof over their heads. This is because those living in company rented homes have been given a month’s notice to move out,” he said. Another spokesperson for the group said they felt cheated. If the bosses were not prepared to address their issues they would be raising the matter with the Department of Labour and Employment. The bosses could not be reached for comment.
Meanwhile, all the aircraft operated by Airlink have since been moved to Goroka where their new base will be.
It is understood that a decision was reached that these aircraft will, under a new name, focus on providing charter and freight services and that only a skeletal staff of those retrenched will be retained to help carry out these services.

[Lando Calrissian]

I have heard that a large majority of the flight crew have found positions with other operators within PNG, the number going to PX over half a dozen at last count?? Good luck to everyone.