Interlink

[starliner]

Interlink Airlines has suspended flights to and from Pretoria/Tshwane until
the 25th January 2010, as a result of a bird strike damaging its only
aircraft on the route.



" PRESS RELEASE: STATEMENT

For Urgent Release

28 December 2009



INTERLINK AIRLINES TEMPORARILY SUSPENDS SERVICES FROM TSHWANE/PRETORIA
WONDERBOOM AIRPORT



Interlink Airlines regrets to announce a temporary suspension in services to
and from Tshwane/Pretoria Wonderboom Airport. An Interlink Airlines Boeing
737 aircraft, registration ZS-SIC, encountered a bird strike on Monday 28
December 2009 while operating a scheduled flight to Cape Town. The aircraft
landed safely and at no stage were any passengers in any danger at any time.




As Interlink Airlines has a strict maintenance and safety programme, it is
Company policy to immediately withdraw an aircraft from service in instances
like these for a full maintenance check. Unfortunately, due to the time of
year, this check will only be able to commence in the first week of January
2010 and is estimated to take approximately 14 days. Due to the restrictions
in operating into and out of an airport like Wonderboom, ZS-SIC is currently
the only aircraft in the Interlink fleet that is certified to operate into
this airport. The airline has thus made the decision to suspend services
until 25 January 2010, by which time the airline will have an additional
certified aircraft operating in and out of Wonderboom.



As per the Conditions of Carriage, passengers will be offered a full refund
or have their reservations moved to services at a later date. Interlink
Airlines regrets the inconvenience caused but wishes to re-iterate that
safety is not negotiable and we trust that our passengers will understand
that we have made this decision in the interests of their safety.



Issued by Interlink Airlines Marketing Department

Monday 28 December 2009

16h30"

[Goldfish Jack]

Interesting one this

If the birdstrike was serious surely they would have gone to Joberg and stopped there, but they flew for 2 hours to Cpt?

Then it could not have been serious to continue to the destination...

Sounds like they are using the poor bird as an excuse for other things...

See ZSSIC is standing down at B3 and does not appear to have any substantial damage that is going to take 14 days to check. That is a hell of a lot of time to fix a bird-strike ain't it.

Was on duty when the aerie landed on Mon - it has been standing since then, and they did not mention anything about a bird-strike when they landed and the aircraft appeared to be in one piece when it taxieed past the tower

[Flymecpt]

Heard the damage was not too serious and only discovered during routine inspection after landing but apparently some part needs to be ordered and they are not sure how long it is going to take to arrive as not prepared to take any chances under current climate. I heard from a friend at ID that they have another 737 for PRY coming into SA on 17 Jan and need some time to get it ready so they decided to push everything out till 25 Jan to be safe. Bummer, she said their loads were picking up nicely.

[superserong]

:}Does that mean Murad is going to take even longer to pay me the R200.00 he owes me...there goes my New-Year's Party.:ugh:

[cigar]

Any news on the BAe146s? Maybe you could please find out from your connection?

[NOTOT]

Hey serong! You have a better chance of falling pregnant than getting a rubel out of that skelm!

[CALCULATOR]

Murad advised his staff today that he cant pay salaries till 16 Jan-maybe!!

Provident funds havent been paid for 3 months, let me tell you all out there the bird strike is probably an excuse to ground his flight because pax numbers in JAN are very low for him and generally everybody.

Im sure the air licensing council will be very interested in learning that he has no back up to offer his pax-this is in direct contradiction to the terms and conditions of running a schedule that YOU MUST HAVE A BACK UP AVAILABLE.

Maybe him and family are taking the aircraft to JEDDAH for a break?or pax numbers are better there.

I would like to know who Murad is paying at the Caa maybe even CJ???

[Foo-Fighter]

pax numbers low for 'generally everybody'?

i ,and the full (and near full) loads of pax i've flown the last weeks, would tend to not agree with that one.

[grjplanes]

I think he means the loads for January, especially after this weekend things are going down, it's just like that every year...the last 2-3 weeks of January is probably the quietest time of the year.
What about all those flights loaded for World Cup, even though extremely expensive there is possibility that some foreigners which isn't well informed about this airline could have booked already. This whole thing of Airlink the government is talking they're doing it to prevent embarressment during the World Cup, but what about these guys?

[GULF69]

Well... a little birdy told me that Menzies cancelled their handling agreement with Interlink (payment problems??) AND BP put a stop on all Interlink's cards as Interlink owes BP a couple of Million R's... NOT SURPRISING.....

69

[Goldfish Jack]

Lets face reality: Its gone!

Shell wont give them fuel, BP was demanding cash before filling them up -
Ticket offices closed and I cant find the web-site

WHo on earth will buy a ticket on this mickey mouse operation?

Lets face harsh realities: Do you really think you are gonna make money flying a clapped out 737-200 into/out of Wonderboom to the Cape? Come on really start thinking logically

Just feel so sorry for the crews who now have no work

[Just a job]

When is the South African aviation industry going to once and for all face up to the reality of Murad ??
The fact that the industry and the flying public still get caught by this guy is mind-boggling!:ugh:

[Der absolute Hammer]

Oh-Murad always has been of the utmost plausibility.
Before 1994-the rumour is that there were certain favours done in certain places between a certain family and a certain political party. The legacy of that ensures the ascendency of the house of Ishmail even though the great white whale may sink, shafted once again, into the depths.

[fly7408]

There are Rumors that Pravin Gordan has an involvement some were here, Hence the reason they keep getting the Immigration Contract even though they have been found to charge for flights which haven't taken place. They also pick up all the government positioning work and that of the Army.

They are kept afloat by all the government work, scary that they cant pay for fuel, but he has had only cash accounts with them for years for similar reasons.

They cant land in Lusaka due to outstanding landing fees.

Did some flying for them, They know everything, you know ****.

[Goldfish Jack]

How to make a small fortune in aviation:

start with a big one!!!

[Big Stick]

ZS-SIC is not flying anytime soon! Inspection reports indicate first and second stage damage to the No. 2 eng and damage to the horiz stab. I recon at least another month or so.

[cmf146]

What has happened to the two 146's that were sent to Kruger for overhaul in September prior to operation with Interlink. The 737 being a stop gap aircraft ?

[The 1]

i saw ZS SIP in FAWB last week in the bay,and apperantly waiting for D check

[Goldfish Jack]

WOnder who will do the D check - dont tell me he has the expertise to do that! Thought only SAATs and Safair could do those down here.

As to ZSSIC - still at CPT, despite an apparant attempt to fly it out, not so long ago - it has also been grounded, by the CAA..........