MK Airlines

[Kabullet]

Anyone out there heard or know anything about this operator?

[BONDMAN]

MK Airlines, is run by Mike Kruger operating
DC8-54 and B742F, uk base is Manston, do alot of fresh produce runs africa-europe, ops are based at lgw but a/c registered in Ghana.

Cheers Bondy

[Skybiter]

Bondy

Thanks for that, bloke. Do you know if Mike is still only taking Zimbabweans or has he let the rest of us in to play as well?

------------------
You know you've done a wheels up when you require reheat to taxi.

[The Guvnor]

He also has an Icelandic operation, which has started MD87 pax operations to various EU destinations. The MK guys I saw at BJM certainly weren't Zimbos!

------------------
:) Happiness is a warm L1011 :)

[Sleepless_Knight]

Guvnor- What????? OK I've read a lot about you in various forums but that comment just reassures me that you have no idea what you are talking about. Are you really trying to get into the freight business? If so I suggest you get to know your competition a little better, before you spend lots of money on an L1011! I don't know who you saw at BJM but it is still Zim only.

[Skybiter]

Thanks for the info SK.

Just have to keep trying. Mike expanding the way he is will need other crews sooner rather than later so maybe there's still a chance in this milennium.......

[Ground Effect]

Aren't there a few members of the whingeing race working there as F/Es?

[The Guvnor]

Sleepless Knight - the Captain was South African, the FO was from Nigeria (I think) and the FE was British. And no, it wasn't Das Air! :) :)

So you obviously don't know about the Icelandic op, then!! :) :) :) ... not as far up the food chain as you thought, eh?

------------------
:) Happiness is a warm L1011 :)

[fcit]

Hasn't MK also filed with the DOD to operate schedule flights to the US. I believe I read something in the Docket files lately.

Cheers

[Sleepless_Knight]

Guv- The Icelandic connection did exist but it has passed into history and is now known within the company as the 'ice age'. It came to an end when the Ghanaian CAA recieved a clean bill of health from the FAA allowing 9G registered aircraft to fly in US airspace.
2 DC-8's were on the Icelandic register but not any more. And I can Guarantee you if a pilot joins MK he will NOT be flying MD-87's and he will NOT be flying pax to EU destinations. I would be interested to know where you heard that one!

There are SA residents at MK but all are ex Zimbo, and the word from on high is that no more SA resident aircrew will be allowed. Otherwise with all the sh*t in zim recently there would have been a mass exodus! Other than that there is 1 nigerian FE and a few others on short term contracts to help get the jumbo fleet going. A new FO or FE still has to prove Zim citizenship and be willing to live there.

As it pertains to the MK airlines as we know it today your post was a load of tosh! No doubt the result of having sufficient time on your hands to make a thousand posts in a year! Suggest you check your facts before you type next time.

[This message has been edited by Sleepless_Knight (edited 07 August 2000).]

[The Guvnor]

Sleepless Knight - as you have just confirmed everything I posted, can you explain, please, why you had to adopt the abusive tone? Or is this just your normal manner?

You can provide a service to others - including myself - by educating them about MK's operations without being a jerk. Your last posting was very informative - why is it that Zimbos alone are employed; and if Mike is so patriotic, why does he register his aircraft in Ghana (9G) and Iceland (TF) rather than Zimbabwe (Z)?

------------------
:) Happiness is a warm L1011 :)

[Cardinal Puff]

Steady on, Guv....

Reading back you got a little snotty with SK as well. No need to start a slanging match.

[Sleepless_Knight]

What exactly did I confirm? All I confirmed was that your first post was completely misleading. I say again, do all ppruners a favour and check facts before you type.

[The Guvnor]

Well, let's look at my posting again, shall we?

I said: He also has an Icelandic operation, which has started MD87 pax operations to various EU destinations. The MK guys I saw
at BJM certainly weren't Zimbos!

and

Captain was South African, the FO was from Nigeria (I think) and the FE was British

You said: The Icelandic connection did exist ... There are SA residents [actually, the Capt had an SA passport and the FO a British one - we did the handling; but this can be explained by pointing out that Burundi and Zim are on opposite sides in the DRC conflict]...there is 1 nigerian FE

Fine, so I mixed up the FE and the FO!! So shoot me! :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Now, can you please answer (if you can) the last questions I posed? Thanks! :) :)

------------------
:) Happiness is a warm L1011 :)

[Sleepless_Knight]

I am (almost) lost for words! Tell me, were these guys driving one of these MD-87's full of pax?

[This message has been edited by Sleepless_Knight (edited 07 August 2000).]

[The Guvnor]

Nope, a DC8! The MD81 (TF-MDA) btw is operated from ARN to EDI, NCE, ALC, Bologna and Thessalonika under the name of Icelandic MD Airlines on bhalf of Swedish tour operator Traffic Europa.

Apparently, Mike still has his equity in the company, which is run by Ingimar Haukur Ingimarsson.

Perhaps he fancies himself as the next Air Atlanta? :) :)

------------------
:) Happiness is a warm L1011 :)

[Kabullet]

Sk,gov, bondie and the rest. thanks for the info. i have also found out a little more in my quest. Apparrently Sk has the correct gen. you must be living in Zim and hold citizen status to be considered. There are south african and Austrailians but they got in before mike put his foot down. As to Mk needing more crew, not sure on that one, but i agree the zim pool of crew will dry up eventually.

[The Guvnor]

Doesn't answer the question about why if Mike Kruger is so patriotically Zimbabwean he only employs his countrymen, why he doesn't register (and base) his operation in Zimbabwe? Instead, the HQ is in the UK and he flies off the Ghana register!

------------------
:) Happiness is a warm L1011 :)

[Sleepless_Knight]

The reasons are many and I'm not going to get into them all but I'll give you two that ought to be sufficient.
1) Politics
2) It's Mikes airline and he can hire whoever he likes, and does not have to justify it! Guess since he is a zimbo he likes us :)

[The Guvnor]

That was pretty much what I thought! :) :) :)

Anyway, you guys have a good operation and deserve every success. All the best!

------------------
:) Happiness is a warm L1011 :)

[planecrazi]

This Boy'z deserve it, and they make all their calls on 126.9. Good lads who have more than earned it!!!!!!, enojoy it, Bruce!!!!!

[putco]

Hey Kabullet - How was Bali, Bwana? Not so blue anymore then.......

[Kabullet]

Hey Putco, good as always! See you on the return leg. Any luck with MK? keep some hobart muddy for me mate.

[putco]

Nothing heard as yet but will be in London shortly, knock on doors there. Hobart Muddy is quietly sleeping in the fridge, ready for a last Masai?? Greetings to the domestic seagull, see you soon Bwana!

[Dogma]

Interesting stuff.

Just to put you all in the picture. Mikes Uncle was Capt. Jack Malloch. He started a freight outfit (Cargoman) in Rhodesia. Very successful. In 1980 the new government (Started as they meant to go on) began by taking ownership of the company lock stock and barrel with out paying a cent in compensation.

The fact that the company is now defunct and the government continues their catastrophic modus vivendi is beside the point. Hence M.K does not operate on is Z register.

The Airline (HQ Hartfield) operates out of Manston, Leige (sic), Luxembourg.

They do employ people from all over the world. If you approached them with the right qualifications and attitude they will more than likely sign you on. The story about having to poses a Zim passport etc. is nonsense.

As for MK's supposed Icelandic outfit it has nothing to do with M.K proper. Ingmarson is a Director of M.K and has utilized the old Icelandic a.o.c for his own operation.

M.K is going from strength to strength acquiring another 747 shortly (total 3).

So if you have the a couple of thousand hours. Apply.

Cheers for now.

P.S I do not work for M.K . Zim pilots rule!

[Kabullet]

Hey Dogma, some great gen! Thanks :). I am still not to sure about the hiring forigners though, they may take some due to crew shortage on a contract basis, But i continue to hear, that if you are not Zim, you have a slim chance. Even being born in Zim won't help, you have to actually live there full time.Bummer

[Ex NAV]

Didn't Jack also run AFFRETAIR out of Gabon.
All those CL44 etc. I remember them well. Libreville to Windhoek (over Angola) then divert to Salisbury - Sanction busting or what!! He fed Africa on, dare I say it, Rhodesian Beef!!! Now thats going back some.

------------------
Man is not lost - just unsure of his position

[The Guvnor]

Actually, Jack Malloch's main company - which was nationalised - was Affretair. He also had Cargoman and Gabon Cargo, both of which were UDI sanctions busting 'fronts'. Tragically, he was killed whilst flying his Spitfire. He was a real character - I only met him once, but that meeting remains etched in my memory!

However, as you pointed out, MK continues to go grom strength to strength despite a fairly high historical DC8 attrition rate.

------------------
:) Happiness is a warm L1011 :)

[Startup]

MK... bargepoles at the ready.

I have the pleasure of living fairly close to their 'ADMINISTRATIVE' HQ. Once worked for them too.

[B Sousa]

Last One Leaving Zimbabwe turn out the lights............
Remember Green Leader

[MrBernoulli]

A bit fiery on this thread, isn't it?

Would you register YOUR aircraft in Zimbabwe.........with its wonderfully corrupt and incompetent politicians? You can't blame MK for registering its aircraft outside Zimbabwe.