Stratocaster
23rd Dec 2001, 11:28
Astra Airlines seems to be a new low cost operator in Switzerland. Their website is absolutely empty apart from a picture of a DC-10. Wouldn't they be looking for pilots by any chance ?
By the way, their livery sounds familiar but I can't remember where it might come from.
<img src="confused.gif" border="0">
Astra Airlines SA
<a href="http://www.astra-airlines.com" target="_blank">http://www.astra-airlines.com</a>
[email protected]
Phone : +41 22 717 8420
Fax : +41 22 717 8423
EXCIN
23rd Dec 2001, 14:11
I don't have any information about this company but the livery of the airplane seems to be the same as SKYJET !! Visit <a href="http://users.skynet.be/airline.skyjet/" target="_blank">http://users.skynet.be/airline.skyjet/</a> to see... They fly with DC-10's under the V2-, N-, 9G- and PP- registrations.
Boss Raptor
23rd Dec 2001, 14:38
yep definately Skyjet - add SX- 'Electra' to the list...
Avman
23rd Dec 2001, 16:53
The a/c (V2-SKY) supposedly destined for this new airline is presently stored at MST (Maastricht).
Stratocaster
23rd Dec 2001, 23:32
Hey, hold on a second here... Does this mean that a Swiss airline (with or without a Swiss AOC) can operate a V2- aircraft ??? I guess not, but I'm not an expert in Swiss regs'.
<img src="confused.gif" border="0">
Stratocaster
7th Jan 2002, 17:40
This "V2- in Switzerland"-thing made me curious, so I digged a bit...
The livery is indeed SkyJet. But SkyJet doesn't exist anymore. Why ? Management structure seems to have been pretty basic there, with just a few folks running the entire show. Apparently (this is a rumour), while the big boss was traveling around the world in his boat and enjoying life, the general manager took advantage of the situation and used company money to go on holiday and pay some other "nice stuff" for himself. At this point it seems that a chick who used to be the president's ex-girlfriend also took some money. Now the big boss' son enters the stage and discovers the hole thing.
Well, I let you figure out what happened next: lawyers, fights, separation, end of a beautiful friendship, etc.
Now most of SkyJet has been transfered to Elektra in Greece (the big boss bought the AOC and then added the DC-10 on it), and the rest is now called AeroWings (formed by the general manager). Basically, there's one aircraft (V2-SKY mentionned earlier), no contract (not even for the Hajj), not a lot of cash in the bank... And this Astra Airlines-project seems to be a desperate attempt to survive.
Regarding pilot employment, most of the SkyJet crews followed Elektra, and AeroWings appears to be leasing flight crews from JAT. So don't even waste a few stamps to send your resume.