Velvet Sky Grounded?

[TheManPartOne]

Does anyone know if there's any truth to the rumor that Velvet Sky was briefly grounded? Apparently due to outstanding debt wrt fuel bills, handling fees etc...

[ambasador]

According to ACSA websites, they seem to be running on schedule.

[B747FEO]

The maintenance was briefly suspended until they paid their account. Seems OK now!

[Gen Ops Director]

Heard they were grounded again today till the fuel bill paid? Seems they paid 1 days fuel and left 90mins late ...... what happens tomorrow?:ugh:

[four engine jock]

Days are numbered.
Thats how it starts.
Dont pay your bills and then dont pay your crews.
Very sad.

[sky waiter]

Sh1t and all this happens just after i advise my family to use the carrier in march cause the airfares are cheaper, lets hope they holdout till then!

[four engine jock]

To all on PPrune.
Go and sign up to Register at Africa Aviation / Afrika Lugvaart (http://www.flyafrica.info/forums/register.php)
Much better for us African Aviators.

[sky waiter]

See the same problem arose again, but apparenlty not grounded delayed? Eish!:eek::eek:

[CALCULATOR]

Here at OR TAMBO-BOTH 737 AIRCRAFT DID NOT MOVE /HAVE NOT MOVED ALL DAY ON THE DELTA APRON-YES I WOULD SAY GROUNDED FOR TODAY AT LEAST.

[TCAS-Climb]

Its a disgrace that the SA CAA dont step in and put an end to this BS.

VELVET SKY are blatantly stealing money from fare paying passengers. You buy a ticket from them, but they cant deliver the service. :=:=:=

"Airports Company South Africa (Acsa) has confirmed that Velvet Sky cancelled several of its flights on Wednesday.

This was because the airline had not paid South African Airways technical for its services fees.

Velvet Sky was not available for comment, but Acsa spokesperson Solomon Makgale confirmed the cancellations.

“Velvet Sky cancelled their flights at Cape Town International Airport. So far they have not given us an update on the flights that were supposed to take-off on Wednesday evening.”

Meanwhile, one passenger said he was stranded in Cape Town.

“I saw on a board that the flight was postponed. I walked to the counter and they said there was a problem [with flights]."

[Gen Ops Director]

Hope your family bought tickets on another airline Sky Waiter?

[sky waiter]

My family is trying to get a refund to book on another airline, i bet i am notthe only one!

[Current Limiter]

I have been following this issue with interest as it seems like there may be more sinister forces at work behind this story. The DFO of Velvet Sky was quoted on e-News two days ago as saying that the "grounding" of the airline by SAA Technical was a political move from SAA and Mango to force Velvet Sky out of the local market. Before one dismisses this as rubish, it would be wise to remember what happened to the likes of Sun Air, FliteStar and others at the hands of SAA. It was also strange that the press release came from SAA, and the directive to withdraw services was from the CEO of SAA who then flatly refused to meet with any of the Velvet management thereafter to try and mediate.

Looking deeper into the situation, there is no doubt that Velvet has had an impact on the local market. They flew 65000 passengers during the month of December and have held prices lower than the other operators. This in itself has been of huge benifit to the travelling public, even if one doesn't support Velvet, you will still be reaping the benifits of lower prices with other airlines. So this was surely hurting Mango.

Personally, I hope that Velvet can come out of this and continue to be a thorn in the side of the likes of SAA/Mango, who are using the taxes that the private airlines pay (1 Time, Comair and Velvet) to fund their own operation. Don't know of any other bussiness where private companies are in competition with a state run company and also indirectly fund them!!!

[Artrides]

They are a corrupt bunch of ex-Aurora tenderpreneurs! Can this sick joke of an airline before they embezzle more money! Read the Sunday times before disagreeing with me, how easily we forget who owns them.

[Gymnogene]

T-CAS Climb wrote "Its a disgrace that the SA CAA dont step in and put an end to this BS." How true!!!

It's only in South Africa where an airline that owes the fuel company R29 million and the maintenance provider R11 million is allowed to continue operating. Surely it's the CAA's duty to ensure that an organisation that they have licensed remains solvent.

And what about our fancy Consumer Protection Act. Seems the custodians are very quiet. Is it perhaps because the Aurora directors are involved?

Trying to run a private airline in SA is a real challenge when one has to compete with 3 state airlines, one sponsored by the SOE and one funded by relatives of the ruling party. :ugh::{

[beechbum]

Trying to run a private airline in SA is a real challenge when one has to compete with 3 state airlines
SAA, SAX.....who is the third? 'Scuse my ignorance.

[Gen Ops Director]

Mango :ugh:

that excludes the R65m from IDC to 1time ......... :rolleyes:

[beechbum]

I still saw that as part of SAA..........:ok:

[Loerie]

I seem to recall that the Mail and Guardian newspaper today said that the airline owed BP R25 million for fuel etc together with an unspecified amount to SAA Technical and that they were trying to forward-sell tickets (I am not quite sure what that meant).There appeared to be an urgent application to have them grounded immediately.That was early today SA-time,I believe.
Just typing what I understood the newspaper to say....

[Loerie]

This not really about Velvet Sky per se`,but I was trying to book a return flight for a family member from GRJ to PLZ with SAA as an assisted passenger.(there is no surcharge for an assisted pax)
The price is an astonishing R5,600.00!
George and Port Elizabeth are only about 200 miles apart.
How can it possibly be so expensive to fly in SA?
Crazy...

[sky waiter]

Probably because you have to fly via JNB to get to GRJ as there is no direct flight!

So tomorrow is the big day lets see if they get going again!!!!

[divinehover]

It's definitely better to drive from PE to George rather than fly.

[TheManPartOne]

I see Velvet claims they'll receive R370mil from an equity fund if a business rescue plan is agreed on instead of liquidation. That should stabilize things for a bit?

[Tableview]

There is more to this than meets the eye. The airline was trading beyond its means but ..........
Cloudy skies over Velvet's Aurora ties - Investigations - Mail & Guardian Online (http://mg.co.za/article/2012-03-09-cloudy-skies-over-velvets-aurora-ties/)
... the waters are murkier than many realised and I would be surprised if Velvet ever takes to the skies again.

[Shrike200]

In the business world, the waters are always murkier than you think. Perhaps you could say in this case that 'the waters were even murkier than normal?'

Not to be a dick, but it's not like this was utterly impossible to see coming when word got out who was behind the whole thing. Again, it sucks for the average working joe who happened to be employed by them. The bigwigs can burn as far as I'm concerned of course. Naturally they won't, but anyway.