APNG Issues?

[Cactusjack]

So some happennings are as follows;

Around 6 or 7 "A" scale captains have been made redundant in the last 4 weeks. These guys are long serving guys, experienced pilots, that are now being deemed too 'expensive' so are being let go. They are not being offered lesser contracts. This is a disgrace.There are guys now with commands on the Dash 8's that used to be until recently FO's on the Otters. These guys have the absolute minimum requirements but come at absolute minimum wages. Experienced pilots are now deemed to be bad for business.

The Otters have been binned, sitting idle and have weeds growing up and around them.

The Dash 8's are in a constant state of repair and some pilots tell me 'falling apart', in their words.

I hear they have gotten rid of around 20 engineers recently, and they were the good ones.

One of the Board has pulled the pin. The Board member has never been known to stick around long if the company he is involved with is a basket case.

The CAA is oblivious to the whole charade and turning a blind eye. Interesting though that a potential 'merger' is back on the cards again.

My sources tell me that the CP and CEO have transferred the 'skills' they had at Skytrans into APNG and the past 12 months has seen in a decline in moral. It seems the MD has embarked on yet another 'profits' driven cost cutting exercise without thinking about the end results. And you wonder why the company has so many issues.
Good luck to the boys and girls up there, tough times ahead.

[MachTwelve]

CJ,

Interesting. I has heard that PNG CASA has just renewed their AOC for another 2 years. Also hear they have just signed up for 12 brand new ATR-72-600's, as well as paying the deposit for all 12.

Certainly in my part of PNG times are very quiet and the Kina has tanked, so perhaps they are just doing what Qantas and everyone else around is also doing and making sure they remain profitable.

[Saratogapp]

"...and the sackings shall continue until morale improves!"

[vee tail]

Cactus you sound very much like a reporter or a troll just trying to fish info out. Maybe some truth to your statements but stinks of troll.

sackings and signed contracts and deposits payed for 12 ATR 72's....... nothing adds up and it aint rocket science

I call rubbish to most of this.

[TBM-Legend]

My friends at ATR haven't received the 12 airplane order yet!

[Cactusjack]

vee tail, thanks for the laugh! I think you need to get your facts correct. There are two confirmed ATR's coming, not 12. As for the money, most of that is coming from the sale of 6 Dashies at it's sister company.

[vee tail]

Cactus you are the one with mach that are posting the facts, i'm just calling bullsh%t

[Ret Sabala]

Cactus you really do hate the Wild Group don't you. The sad thing is you are pretty much spot on.
Let's hope they can pull themselves out of it-mire ,crap, for the pilots and PNG's sake.
The ATR's will happen, eventually, but then again they couldn't get a Cessna Citation on the register. But have Tropic Air got theirs up and going yet?
Difference is one is a charter organisation the other supposedly an Airline.
Gotta watch what you say on this site as I know they all monitor it.
Oh well gotta go organise my undies drawer.........

[Biggles266]

I have it on very good authority that APNG have lost a number of big contracts (mining companies) that the Twotters were used to service and now they have no use for them so have/are selling them off.

Many pilots getting the 'move along' orders and the ones that were lucky enough to stay are getting upgrades to the Dash.

APNG seem to be in a bit of a restructure stage, trying to stem the bleeding as they say.

[Che cows with guns]

Most of the companies real income came from the mining contracts. It generally was paid in currency other than Kina. Subsequently lose those contracts or they scale down (the ones you have got), meanwhile trying to compete on the RPT market against a government run, owned and funded airline and you have problems. Exacerbating that the Kina has dropped and other currencies appreciated against it=cash flow problems. Also you have an ageing fleet and a lack of everything particularly skilled engineers and parts, the engineers that are any good are overworked.
Then you have the logistical problems associated with PNG and well I'm glad I don't own the Airline. Ulcer city.
Most of the airframes have been sold and leased back. This presumably to raise cash for ongoing operations or pay down debt or to fund the leases on the ATR72.
The ATR72 will be for the only good contract they have left Exxon Mobil which will probably be due to commence in May 2015. They have signed a letter of intent on an ATR72 airframe or airframes, who knows how many. I believe the intention is to re-fleet with ATR's.
Tough times ahead for the boys and girls and a few more tears I suspect but a plan has been put in place and they are working to it.
CHEers.
Oh did I mention a board who want a return on the investment made when the Airline listed on the Pomsox.

[Cactusjack]

Also you have an ageing fleet and a lack of everything particularly skilled engineers and parts, the engineers that are any good are overworked.
Interesting. If this is truly the case I wonder why the CAA aren't all over them for this? Didn't APNG just have its AOC ratified for another 2 years?
A lot of what is being quoted has coincidentally started happening ever since the ex Skytrans CEO took over the helm last year! Now Toomey may have left 'large shoes' that needed to be filled, but perhaps the current little CEO's feet truly don't fit the shoes so to speak? I mean Toomey had large airline experience, and went back to a large airline, but the current APNG CEO, well..........that's a different story :=

Oh did I mention a board who want a return on the investment made when the Airline listed on the Pomsox. Of course that's what they want, but it doesn't appear like the current CEO is capable of delivering on that does it?
Groundhog Day? Dejavu? Karma? Who knows, but all you need to do is look at some of the current senior managemt structure and then take a look at what they left behind in Australia and you may just have yourself an answer?

Perhaps what is needed is for the Schoolteacher to come over and use one of her companies to teach management some mumbo jumbo (at a tidy fee of course!)?

[FarCu]

ret sabala is interesting spelt backwards!

[Eastwest Loco]

We carry 101 Airline "plates" we can issue tickets through IATA/BSP on and for a time carried the CG plate.

It was used several times but subsequently disappeared within the last 12 months.

Shame that as I have had quite a bit of traffic out of POM over the last month or so and CG was pricing better than most on more than one occasion.

That is revenue lost and to me it would seem to indicate bean counters pulling in every little cost despite losing traffic by doing so.

I could probably have booked via their website but that gives me uncertain control of the ticketing and dubious ability to modify the booking while my client is on the roll.

In the end Pixie got the business which I in no way begrudge but I would have liked to be able to offer my client the cheaper option and support the little guy. East-West syndrome I guess.

Accountants logic when under stress is not always logical.

best all

EWL

[Ret Sabala]

CG101/100 became unviable when Qantaslink began operating Cairns to Port Moresby return AM and PM services, effectively putting an extra 280 seats a day into the market.
It made sense to roll over on that route and concentrate on the domestic operation in PNG.
Then the company only ran the service on a Friday evening Pom to Cairns to bring staff home for the weekend and returned on Saturday mostly empty except for a few hapless crew a bit of freight and a few passengers. On Sunday evening it returned to Cairns in much the same fashion to operate back on a Monday morning with the managers and crew to operate out of Moresby. It was somewhat constrained by the departure having to be 0700 so crew could have the day previous as a day off.
This eventually was stopped-after 18 months- as it was considered more economical to fly all staff and crew on the Qantas and Pixie services. Also the PNG customs cracked the darks when they realised all the crew were being carried as deadhead crew on the general declaration, thereby avoiding the quite considerable taxes.
As one manager once said, "we've have never made money on that run anyway."
Right; sock draw sorted; undies now.
BTW FarCu I am not a KIWI, sheeez give a bloke a break. I'm not even a scientist and have never studied Physics for that matter.

[socksfirst thenshoes]

Qantas and Pixie at least offered a decent meal. With that crowd all you get are stale biscuits and sweet sickly juice.

[Cravenmorehead]

You're right EastWest Loco accountants are not logical under stress.

[Justa Dash]

On the money to a point Craven and EWL. Frankly there is no place for accountants in MD, CEO or GM Roles in this industry (SMc is the exception). They look in the rear view,and tend to think vertically. Consider the historical performance of APNG and the Sister in OZ once the accountants assumed the reins. Both airlines performed very positively in the past under professional industry personnel. In key areas i.e. financially ,operationally, ethically and with tremendous staff morale.
APNG still has good managers they just aren't listened to. OZ has no managers as has been covered in many other threads.

[Cactusjack]

Justa Dash, perhaps they should send the school teacher up there to fix things? Bring a little mumbo jumbo into the company :ok:
What do you think Toodogs, agree?

[The Big E]

Frankly there is no place for accountants in MD, CEO or GM Roles in this industry. Consider the historical performance of APNG and the Sister in OZ once the accountants assumed the reins. Both airlines performed very positively in the past under professional industry personnel. In key areas i.e. financially, operationally, ethically and with tremendous staff morale.

With very very few exceptions, ain't that the truth. Generally, they should be restricted to counting the beans, and not be permitted to meddle in things they know little about. Hence the old adage of a little knowledge (usually self credited) is a dangerous thing, often associated with the semi disastrous consequences which are seen all too frequently.:ugh:

[Unusual-Attitude]

Hey Cactusjack...what's the latest on Skytrans? ;)

[Square Bear]

1st July, this year APNG requested from the Port Morseby Stock Exchange that their securities be suspended as they are:

"currently engaged in negotiating transactions, which if they were to proceed, may have a material impact on the company."

Full letter at http://www.pomsox.com.pg/dimages/company_pdfs/28_2323.pdf

[macdonaldjames93]

Hi Socksfirst,
I was on a PX F100 flight in from CNS-POM and that is what they offer on that flight just a biscuit n all the yeeuk juice you can drink,
APNG should have stayed on the route coz at that time 5-6 years ago they were the only mob that was offering in flight entertainment. The problem was way too many highly paid chiefs that show up at work after lunch on Monday and they hopping on a plane back to brissy after lunch Friday.............really??? if I was getting paid a half a million kina a year I will park my overpaid ass in POM
What a shame APNG was company with massive potential, back in 2009-2011 they had most of the mining contracts.

[Pith Helmet]

Most of APNG's issues can be traced back to the current CEO. He was 'moved' from Skytrans due to incompetence and CASA wanting him gone due to continued non compliances, and he was sent to APNG by SW, which was a bad move as he has now brought them to their knees financially as well. The amount of accidents and the redundancy of the best pilots and engineers to save money is frightening, and backs industry's concerns about both it and it's sister airline.
Skytrans can't hold on to Chief Pilots or safety staff either, who keep leaving. The current Skytrans 'chief pilot in training' with just 10 weeks service has resigned. Yet another manager flee's with their life. The actual CP who was training the young fella leaves in November, after resigning 4 times in two years. They have lost all the key managers, have two idiots running the airline, both with backgrounds in either accounting (not formally), or in school teaching. The other so-called manager running everything is an ex check-in bloke from Gladstone who talks big but achieves nothing. The writing is on the wall for both these airlines, and both needed to sign off on big contracts to stay afloat, and both have been unable to achieve that in recent months as they are simply out of their depth in a changing environment.

Runway incursions in Australia, Dash 8's into the ground in PNG, maintenance overuns, lots of things being swept under the carpet in both countries, it might be time that the Wild family went back to PNG, bought a farm and plowed all their energy in returning bull**** to the ground. It would be far safer for the travelling public.

P.S Skytrans are doing yet another major overhaul of an aircraft in the open hangar in Cairns, Amazing how CASA turn a blind eye to that, considering it breaches their maintenance permission for that facility. Nobody seems to care that there is no fire supression equipment in that hangar and it is only meant to be used for light maintenance and avionics work :=:=

[717tech]

P.S Skytrans are doing yet another major overhaul of an aircraft in the open hangar in Cairns, Amazing how CASA turn a blind eye to that, considering it breaches their maintenance permission for that facility. Nobody seems to care that there is no fire supression equipment in that hangar and it is only meant to be used for light maintenance and avionics work

I find it VERY difficult to believe that Skytrans would conduct heavy maintenance in a facility so close to the public eye if it wasn't approved... You can apply to the CASA for many exemptions... this may have been one.

[hiwaytohell]

Nobody seems to care that there is no fire supression equipment in that hangarWhat's this got to do with anything. Does fire suppression equipment improve maintenance quality or something???

Anyway on most major airports the level of fire suppression equipment is usually a product of hangar size (volume). The big requirements tend to kick in at 20,000 cubic metres. I doubt Skytrans plastic shed would be even 10,000, so hose reels and extinguishers would be probably all they need.

Some pics in here of their hangar:
Aviation Industry - Global Fabric Structures (http://www.globalfabricstructures.com/industry_aviation.html)

Looks like a hose reel in a least one of the pictures. So it appears they do have fire suppression.

[Lucky Six]

What Square Bear said is significant, watch this space.

Safe Flying

[TBM-Legend]

Lots of ATR72's coming I hear!

[geeup]

So APNG are going for a "rebrand" what will they be calling themselves? :ooh:
Perhaps back to MBA? :E
ATR will only come if they can find further investors :}

[Cactusjack]

Some airlines rebrand themselves and think that will fix any problems at the heart of the organisation. It doesn't . A rebrand by way of a spiffy new livery or a name change is usually only window dressing, it doesn't change the core issues of an organisation, what is at the heart. I like to think of it as 'the glitter coated turd'. Once the glitter is scraped off the top what do you have underneath?
Of course I'm not referring to APNG specifically here, just saying that rebrands are normally nothing more than a bandaid solution or a marketing and PR exercise in trying to hide the past without actually changing anything.

[Unusual-Attitude]

Maybe they'll be absorbed into 'PX link'? :E

[The Big E]

Maybe they'll be absorbed into 'PX link'?

Unlikely, in all probability. PX could go it alone with a rationalised Route expansion programme, if they so chose to do so.

Regards to ya all, B E.

[Induced Turbulence]

I think UA is close on the money.

[Justa Dash]

Or a PNG savvy business house could be assuming ownership, refer recent director resignation. Long long history of success in PNG, not in aviation but nor were they in hospitality for many years.

[socksfirst thenshoes]

The 29th of August will be interesting indeed, Apng have not released their 2013 financial statement yet, that should have been released at the very latest by June IAW with POMSOX rules I think? What are the financial negotiations they are having? Perhaps for the ATR's, but first I think you have to pay off outstanding debt, which must be increasing every day now they have to pay the leases on previously owned aircraft.
So what is going on are they in a financial pickle? If so should not the staff be made aware!!
It is not usually a good sign when a company stops trading on it's listed exchange. The share price went from around 40 odd Toea to a holt at 33 Toea Hmm someone suspected something., I would be pretty annoyed if I invested at the float at 1 Kina, a loss of 67%, plus no dividend paid in what 4 years? Too many unanswered questions there for my liking.
See ya
Socks First then shoes,
Midvale school for the gifted class of 64.

[from a higher ground]

I think because this is more pilots forum the comments here are more aligned towards flying & matters related.
PX problems are very much intertwined with PNG problems.
PX schedule is a mess. Their flights are just not full. They are unable to adapt on the fly to the market conditions and needs. Being a small carrier they should be more agile. The fares are just too high, and then to make up for the shortfall in the revenue, they raise the fares again. PX need to close its unprofitable routes, they are just not sustainable. Improve capacity & loads on to ones that are profitable.

PNG should do more to market themselves, starting from expanding tourists obtaining visas on arrival. Improving the infrastructure for travellers, better hotels, budget hotels, backpacker type hostels & the like.
Riding on only one project which will come to a close soon will only see them drive themselves to the ground.

I wish them luck & a prayer.

[Cactusjack]

All will be fine. Just give management a little mumbo jumbo training and consider everything fixed!

[Justa Dash]

The word on the street is that the 29th August is about new ownership not ATRs.
Regional Aviation requires a more committed leadership team. Commuting Accountants and lawyers rarely fit in general or regional aviation leadership. Could be a case for maintaining the Current fleet as suitable for the operating environment. New owners would focus on the customer, rationalise routes, abandon the cash-flow/high utilisation model and give the aircraft time in the shed.
Will be a tough turnaround but possible. The leaseback arrangement is a major impediment on the business again the masterstroke of bean counters.
Senior leadership and far to much influence from the major (65%) shareholder has long been APNG,s issue.
As Charles from Darwin apparently said "Fish always rot from the head" or was he talking about adapting to change?

[Cactusjack]

Regional Aviation requires a more committed leadership team. Commuting Accountants and lawyers rarely fit in general or regional aviation leadership. Same applies for commuting HOFO's. All the FIFO senior managers haven't gone unnoticed, nor have the flash accommodation arrangements and expense being outlaid. It's also interesting how the MD opted for some reason to give the HOFO and CEO a second bite at the cherry after their performance at the 'other' airline?? I guess you get what you pay for :=
I still reckon teaching managers mumbo jumbo will fix all their woes, it worked in Australia :ok:

[Che cows with guns]

I have to tend to agree with you Cactus. The problem is the management get paid quite handsomely but really achieve diddly squat. None of the managers really care about the company, particularly the ones you have alluded to. No one really wants to work there. If a better job paying more came along they would be gone in a flash, wouldn't we all? Having said that there are a couple of really talented people working at APNG but they are dragged down by the incompetence of many. Cryptic clue as to one of the best managers-look down into the well see the ground. He is at least much smarter than his roomy at the Airways that is for sure.


I think that a big announcement is due soon. PX are re-structuring and I believe going to adopt a low cost model for the domestic operations. All to be announced to coincide with independence day September 16. Are APNG going to be part of this? Hence the trading holt. If it does happen I doubt that PX would retain many of the current APNG management, if any.
Maybe APNG will try to battle on; on their own, which to me would be financial suicide.


But it does look as though they are back in favour with Newcrest, announcing they will be using APNG on the Pom Lihir run as of October, flicking PX. Heavylift to operate the Cairns Lihir return run as of October.
CHEers

[Ret Sabala]

Is it true that the Chief pilot (MFO) and CEO both fly in on a Monday morning and fly home on a Wednesday night?
Where do they find such dedicated individuals?

[WagnerPrincipal]

I guess all this rhetoric is why they call it Airlines of Pain and Grief
Just a Wild Ass Guess Not Easily Refuted I suppose

[Cactusjack]

Is it true that the Chief pilot (MFO) and CEO both fly in on a Monday morning and fly home on a Wednesday night?
Where do they find such dedicated individuals?
The locals must be happy about that? Couple of imports flying in every week for a couple of easy days work and earning top money in the process.

[Unusual-Attitude]

But it does look as though they are back in favour with Newcrest, announcing they will be using APNG on the Pom Lihir run as of October, flicking PX. Heavylift to operate the Cairns Lihir return run as of October.

Is that confirmed?

They're certainly welcome to the wet season night arrivals into LNV...:E

[Che cows with guns]

Yep true Unusual-Attitude according to mine management "Airlines of PNG are commencing domestic flights between Lihir and Port Moresby as an extension of existing services in the area. Newcrest will start using these services as of 1 October 2014" I can sympathise with you regarding late night arrivals in the wet into Lihir, definitely gets the sphincter muscles going. But it is good news for the beleaguered Airlines of PNG.
As well, Hevilift to start on the Lihir to Cairns run with an ATR42-500, and they maintain the Highlands Buka Misima route.


Justa Dash wouldn't it be wonderful if as you allude, a local White Knight businessman, well maybe not so white but you get my drift, with lots of money came in and bought out the Airline. In the process rationalising the route structure, maintaining the aircraft properly, and started treating the staff like human beings. Does such a person exist? The place certainly needs a committed individual such as John Wild senior was. Someone who wants to live in country and is passionate about the company. I doubt this person would keep much of the current management, then again maybe they would thrive under such a person, who knows?


As you correctly point out the current major shareholder just sucks the company dry spending the money on expensive sporting teams in Cairns.
CHEers.
That"s all from this poster now got better things to do.

[Square Bear]

They're certainly welcome to the wet season night arrivals into LNV...

At least they will arrive with more gas on board than they did when they were doing CNS LHR in the -100 :eek:

[socksfirst thenshoes]

"As well, Hevilift to start on the Lihir to Cairns run with an ATR42-500, and they maintain the Highlands Buka Misima route."





When I worked at Airlines a few years ago they had all the contracts. Pulgera-PJV, Lihir-Cairns and the Lihir highlands run. Boy have they ever been run over by a half decent company in Hevilift. One who seem to have a bit of money behind them and run by good management.


(Thought bubble)-put in decent management and spend a bit of money=success. It's not rocket surgery. Their aircraft besides the ATR42-500 are all quite old airframes yet still seem reliable enough, Hmmm what are they doing right, Ahhh that's it, maintaining them. Time for the commuter/FIFO boys in management to walk into the room of mirrors I think.


I bet that Hevilift will be inundated with applications from Airlines crew keen to jump from a sinking ship. Hevilift will probably take quite a few of their better more experienced crew.
That's GOLD, seeing as they sacked pilots-experienced crew- a few months back-classic management technique.
The Ansett sim centre must love this crowd.
Socksfirst
Midvale school for the gifted class of 1980.

[Mach E Avelli]

Unless there has been a complete change of management ethos, Hevilift would certainly not be a career-enhancing move from APNG. Anyone switching between these two companies would be literally jumping from the frying pan into the fire.
Speaking of people getting burned, the third contender for domestic operations in PNG, Travelair, seem to have gone very quiet of late. Are they still in business? Or does 'quiet' in these forums mean everyone there is deliriously happy and all their bills have been paid?

[Killer Loop]

Mach E Avelli,

Putting aside our respective personal "experiences" with Hevilift I think there are some exceptions to your statement. An example is that of guys looking for command experience. There are pilots at APNG who started on the Twin Otter as an FO and gained perhaps 1000-1500 hours before moving on to the Dash 8. There they gained another 1500 hours as an FO. The next move would have been (before this point) a move back to the Otter as a captain but since APNG do not operate this type anymore these pilots are stuck in their current position. There is some debate whether they can move to the left hand seat of the Dash 8 as they do not have 500 hours ME command so what options do they have?

I know a couple of guys who are in this position and are moving from APNG to HL to be captains on the Otter. They have no multi turbine command time so I would think this would indeed count as a reasonable (at least) career move.

I do not work for either of these companies.

[geeup]

HL are doubling their fleet again! Well done boys. Now enough of the back slapping and hand jobs time to produce these ATR42-500s from Europe :}

APNG welcome back to contract work. Sounds like there are a few other contracts up for the taking. Good luck with securing ATRs for the sister airline. :oh:

[socksfirst thenshoes]

Was looking through the Kina securities web site and found that Airlines of PNG NPAT -profit after tax was -21 million Kina for year 2013 and around -19 million Kina in 2012. Their assets have decreased over 2013 and 2012. That's a lot of red ink.
There are 23 million shares listed. The major shareholder would have to be peeved I am sure.
Socks first.
Midvale school for the gifted class of 64.

[Justa Dash]

That would be the former owner and primary driver of the business with over 65%. Your earlier post re FIFO management taking a look at themselves very relevant for some of them! The Kiwi will milk it to the end then blame all and sundry.
Acquisition if it progresses is only a few weeks away.

[socksfirst thenshoes]

The acquisition if it goes ahead will be interesting. What is there to buy tho'? Most of the Dash8 airframes are now leased, the (Bentley Boy-as referred to in another thread) has been steadily selling out of the country, Twin Otters, lots of property etc.
I can imagine the new major shareholder will buy his shares and get at least 3 seats on the board, the company will maintain its listing on the POMSOX. The new major shareholder will take over management; you will see lots of people from the Philippines running the show and assisting in the set up of the ATR operation.
I can imagine there will be a few changes in the management and operational ranks, replaced with Pilipinos. not sure if it will be a good thing or not, they certainly are getting the control at a bargain price if it happens. That's what rich people do though, take distressed companies and turn them around and make money down the track. Good luck all.
At least Airfares to Cebu will be cheaper.
Socks first as always
Midvale school for the gifted class of 65

[Cactusjack]

Was looking through the Kina securities web site and found that Airlines of PNG NPAT -profit after tax was -21 million Kina for year 2013 and around -19 million Kina in 2012. Their assets have decreased over 2013 and 2012. That's a lot of red ink.
Wow! What a fantastic job the executive managers must be doing, especially the expat/part time CEO :ok: As has been suggested before, what they need is a little bit of mumbo jumbo management training and all will be ok!

[Cactusjack]

APNG's "sister" airline also not performing in a robust manner when it comes to finances, according to a number of people close to the companies core. Even the Cairns Council have now become the Taipans major sponsor:

Cairns Taipans score sponsorship deal with council | Cairns Post (http://m.cairnspost.com.au/sport/local-sport/cairns-taipans-score-sponsorship-deal-with-council/story-fnjpuwsz-1226965649506)

Article - The Official Website of the Cairns Taipans (http://www.taipans.com/article/id/1cj249wzj6bl1rpstvwmbob4f)

[Hailstop3]

Cactusjack, in no place in those 2 articles does it say that the council is now the major sponsor, nor does it say Skytrans is no longer a sponsor. Cairns Regional Council today announced it would extend its sponsorship of the Skytrans Cairns Taipans for five years.

That to me says Skytrans is the major sponsor considering they are part of the name of the club.

Once again it's your 'mumbo jumbo' mouth bashing a company that you still have a chip on your shoulder from, and twisting the truth to match your agenda.

[Cactusjack]

No bashing from me. Only quoting what internal sources have said.
I shall go and tell them off.

[Unusual-Attitude]

Haha! Good ole CJ...he's been willing and prophesizing the demise of SkyTrans since I can't remember...last I heard him conject was that they'd be gone by the end of last financial year...but they just refuse to die, eh Cactus?! :E

Mumbo jumbo indeed...

[Pith Helmet]

Interesting comment about Sir John. You have to remember that he was a different breed of person to ‘Junior’. Junior is all about money only, not that his father wasn’t, but Junior does not care about lives. The two worst accidents with fatalities have occurred since he has been MD, on his watch. And exactly what has the CAA done? The safest place for the industry would be with him behind bars. The current MFO and CEO are no better. Kicked out of the Aussie industry with nowhere to go due to stuffing up Skytrans with their mismanagement, poor decision making and compulsive need to break rules and regulations. Junior gave them a spot at APNG, some sort of misguided loyalty which has seen both his airlines become $2 outfits......And has the place improved over 18 months at APNG since wee man and the dangerous Captain took over? Nope, good pilots and engineers have been punted to save costs, contracts lost and the place is virtually broke with the word ‘safety’ becoming the new evil. It is a disgrace. The MFO, CEO and MD should be walked. No wonder that on the day the Dash 8 accident report was released all staff were told to stay at the airport or in their compound as it was feared that locals would initiate reprisals. I actually wished the locals would have because enough lives have been lost to this mob.
I hope for the sake of the decent people left in the company that a takeover by PX occurs and the current managers are shipped back to Australia on the very next flight. The little man with a huge ego needs to go back to being a financial auditor as he isn’t capable of anything else having stuffed up two airlines is bad enough. The MFO needs to manage a tinpot fleet of 5 seat scud runners carrying freight only. Plus getting rid of them would save the company a fortune in salaries, bonuses and travel and accommodation expenses that is wasted on them both and their ‘3 day work week’. Skytrans future hinges on the DTMR contracts and successful tenders should be announced this month. The word on the street is that they will not be winning all 4 contracts, so cactus may be more in the know than some give him/her credit.
Both APNG and its sister airline Skytrans are an embarrassment. If I was a resource company or government I wouldn’t be putting my highly remunerated employees on either of them as they are only consistent with regulatory inaction, crashes, runway incursions and a pathological framework that underpins them both. Aviation is like evolution and eventually the diseased and dying die out and make way for new life, and that is where these two airlines are headed. The dodgy behaviors and mentalityof these guys should have been extinguished in the eighties and is not what is acceptable or should be considered the norm in 2014. CAA and CASA, where are you?

[Ret Sabala]

Good post Pith Helmet, pretty much spot on. I am sure TCAS -as the staff lovingly call him- Pinnochio and the Bentley Boy and all their sycophants will get there's in due course, one can only hope so anyway.
I bet that there will never be series of books written about this crowd such as the "Balus" series. Nor will anyone ever say nice things about them at company get together.
It has been my experience that those who use fear and intimidation as a tool end up at the bottom of the pile.

[fugitive]

I hear that after sacking so many experienced Captains,they are now asking CASA for dispensations to upgrade unqualified F/O`s.
What does the board do and you might ask the same about CASA.
The next saving measures:ugh: will probably be,sack more pilots and stop running empty aircraft.
Where do they get these people?

[Cactusjack]

Careful, all the 'Wild' fans will get upset with your for dissing their airline :=

Fugitive, if what you say is true then it really proves that the lunatics are indeed in charge of the asylum.

[Toodogs]

Fugitive.

Are you taking about APNG or Skytrans with the sacking of Captains?

[Ret Sabala]

I believe he is talking about A/PNG culling 7 or so experienced Captains so they could slot in some lower paid Captains who came in off the Twin Otter after they binned that fleet. Now they have quite a few pilots on sick leave and at least one resignation, with more to come I hear.
Hence they can't adequately crew the ambitious schedule.
Great Managment at work.

[Cactusjack]

Great Managment at work.
I agree, once again the saving of money comes before experience and safety. Will they ever learn?
What do you think toodogs, is the ridding of 7 experienced Captains a safe and mature business decision?

[socksfirst thenshoes]

Yes it will seem I guess in hindsight to have been a mistake to to ditch so many crew earlier on in the year. Silly knee jerk Managment at work I am afraid. One wonders what they were thinking at the time. You can't really blame the current CEO for it all though he did inherit a mess from Gary T (the absent CEO). But since he came into power he seems to have fitted into the job/description /requirements of a CEO in this organisation. You gotta wonder what the rest of the board have been doing while the Chairman allows all the mis-managment.
Oh well it's only money, they're still printing it 'eh.
Socks first then shoes
School for the gifted class of 63 same year as BB was born

[Toodogs]

I was just a bit confused there with references to CASA and dispensations etc. - thought we were talking about Australia.

[Cactusjack]

Unusual attitude and hail damage, no 'mumbo jumbo' in the below announcement;

Cairns Taipans unveils a smart move with new sponsorship deal | Cairns Post (http://m.cairnspost.com.au/lifestyle/cairns-taipans-unveils-a-smart-move-with-new-sponsorship-deal/story-fnjpuwet-1227028584903)

What do you think toodogs, have they run out of cash???

[Cravenmorehead]

Boy has this thread moved on since I last visited. Sounds like a lot of Turmoil.
Probably a good move by Skytrans to stop sponsoring that bunch anyway. The last sponsor went broke, (Pacific Toyota) not because of the sponsorship though.
Not much money in Cairns these days. The LNP has cut a knife through the public sector and the tourism industry is pretty sad because of the strong Aussie dollar, all the local businesses are feeling the pinch that is for sure, and I assume Skytrans is no different. I would hazard a guess that Airlines of PNG is being sold to fund Skytrans. I think they used the proceeds of the float a few years ago to fund Skytrans. They wanted to sell more but could not garner enough interest. How does that old saying go how you make a small fortune in Aviation? Start with a large one. But I am sure the Cairns economy will appreciate the cash that Skytrans puts into it down the track, while they wait for the great white hope Aquis, and the Chinese invasion. Great another casino.
Beside I suppose they still sponsor the Northern Pride, don't they?

[Pith Helmet]

Latest announcement below (but there is a twist);

http://www.apng.com/News.aspx (http://www.apng.com/News.aspx)

“The new services between Port Moresby and Lihir will operate 5 days each week, and those linking Kokopo and Lihir twice each week”

What Pinocchio has forgotten to tell everyone is that when the contract was signed off and the mining workers and locals found out about it there was almost a riot as these people are not happy. The APNG safety manager and other senior managers from the airline were rushed down to Lihir to try and calm the agitated masses who do not want an airline fraught with dangerous shortcomings with a history of crashing and deaths risking the lives of loved ones doing this service. I don’t blame the miners or the locals as APNG crash planes and take lives, its what they do best in the region! And now that they have cut costs even further by getting rid of their experienced Pilots and Engineers the situation is even worse. And lets not forget the miners also don’t want the silly MOFO, who is banned from being a CP in Australia, flying those well paid miners about in those outdated ancient Dash 8’s (I mean Crash 8’s). How does that rate on the risk scale, 5A?
As has been pointed out at the sister company Skytrans, they still cant pay the bills, can no longer afford to sponsor the silly Taipans, and even the ‘cough cough’ MD had to sell his precious Bentley to cull some debt and appease his family who aren’t happy about watching their precious inheritance being squandered on Armani suits and a snob car for cruising the streets of Manunda on weekends. And will the silver haired MD still have a corporate box where he can still sing and clap along with the rest of his ‘special’ family? Will the school teacher be concerned about the family trust disappearing, will she engage in some consultative management training, word polishing and corporate hi-fiving in an effort to turn all the misfortunes around (all for a very lucrative fee of course). What a farcical joke, lets just hope the other PNG mining contractors and Australia’s DTMR are watching this embarrassment.

Entrepeneurs yes, aviators no.

[Cactusjack]

Decoder, hello, I'm here! And no, I am not he and he is not me. But thanks anyway :ok:
Pith is very naughty

[SIUYA]

The APNG safety manager...

With all that's been written about APNG, eg.,

...an airline fraught with dangerous shortcomings with a history of crashing and deaths...

do you mean that they actually have a safety manager? :ooh:

If 'yes', and if the alleged dangerous shortcomings, crashes and deaths attributed to the outfit are true, then he/she doesn't seem to be particularly good at the job. :{

[fugitive]

I am told that this Chief Pilothas been in the company for about two years now and is still not qualified with a PNG licence.
Why is he still able to hold this senior position and issue decisions on operational matters when he holds no proper qualification to do so.
Why is he here?:=

[Cactusjack]

Very very good question fugitive.

[Ret Sabala]

I think you will find he does have a PNG ATPL, but does not fly the line. Currently he is in training.
Previous he was rewriting manuals, a complete rewrite of the "exposition" and sorting out the sim program.

[fugitive]

How can you have a valid PNG Licence to operate if you haven't finished training.This person has been up here for over a year and a half,even the slowest pilot would only take a few months to convert,that is unless you had another agenda.
The APNG pilots say that all he has done is to substitute his previous company's procedures.Hardly a recipe for a place like PNG,that is unless the operations manuals were poorly and incorrectly written in the first place.
The fact that pilots are leaving the company is not a good sign for any outfit,it is normally the other way around.:zzz

[Cactusjack]

left his operation without a job for I thought for sure they were about to kill or hurt somebody.
Oh my that's a bit of a worry. Quitting as a line pilot to take up the option of unemployment because you were worried someone would be killed or hurt? Really?

[Ret Sabala]

Fugitive, You can convert an Australian ATPL to a PNG ATPL you only have to do Air law and one other exam, I think it is called Airways. Then a medical and you have a PNG ATPL. Then you start line training, get up the company minimum requirements and you are checked to line.
Yes he did change the procedures, but doesn't ever MOFO do that to some extent. There was nothing wrong with the prior procedures they were nicked from a reputable Kiwi operator.

[wheredidwhogo]

Cactusjack question.... are you a disgruntled ex flight attendant of Skytrans or APNG??

[Cactusjack]

Cactusjack question.... are you a disgruntled ex flight attendant of Skytrans or APNG?? Why use the term 'ex'?

[Cactusjack]

Big announcement tomorrow! Will SW announce that he is investing heavily in APNG? After all he sold 6 Dashies at APNG and 6 at Skytrans, so the money from that must be going somewhere? Also the Bentley has been sold as well as the house in Cairns, so maybe they are heading back to PNG?

[geeup]

Did I hear correct?
APNG are hiring again?

[Duck Pilot]

Looking at whats going on next door might be some musical chairs coming up again. One thing that's certain for sure is that the T&Cs won't be improving for the airline guys in PNG anytime soon.

[Chocks Away]

Mmm indeed Duck... Air Nogot just put out a shot across the bow for expats (much like the Fiji sideshow), so it will be interesting to see what's in store for Balus.

Happy Landings:ok:

[Cactusjack]

Is this one of the reasons why the annual report hasn't been released??

International Aviation Cases provided by Cleary & Lee Litigation (http://www.clearylee.com.au/aviation_intal.php)

19. Airlines PNG aircraft DHC-8 - 103, flight CG1600 crash near Madang PNG 13 October 2011
A Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft operated by airlines PNG registration number P2 - M CJ crashed 33 km south east of Madang Papuan New Guinea. The Papuan New Guinea Accident Investigation Commission (AIC) in its preliminary report released 2 November 2011 reported “at approximately 1715, the aircraft’s over speed warning horn sounded. Very shortly afterwards, both propellers simultaneously overspread and exceeded their maximum permitted revolutions per minute (rpm) by in excess of 60%. Witnesses of the ground reported hearing a loud ‘bang’ as this occurred.”
Mr Nunan has been contacted by families of some of the deceased passengers concerning various issues and possible claims in particular claims pursuant to the PNG Civil Aviation (Aircraft Operators’ Liability) Act of 1975. 28 passengers were fatally injured during the impact and subsequent fuel-fed fire. There were four survivors. The AIC is continuing its investigations particularly in relation to the engine and propeller assemblies, maintenance documentation and procedures and components of the power lever quadrant.

[Ret Sabala]

Big announcement never happened it is PNG after all. I think they are still in a trading holt. I guess they just hope no one notices. Not much fun being a public company when you are bleeding.
Good sleuth work Cactus, I reckon there will be many law suits over that prang. On the other side I reckon Airlines of PNG will counter sue the manufacturer, and the lawyers will get richer.

[Pinky the pilot]

and the lawyers will get richer.

And in any action, that's about all that will ever happen!:mad::*:mad::*:yuk:

[WagnerPrincipal]

Ain't that the truth Pinky. Geeup, they are hiring again they advertised the other day in the local "Rag". Amazing!!! What management school did these people attend. At least the plots know what they are doing.

[Cactusjack]

:D:D
Amazing!!! What management school did these people attend. At least the plots know what they are doing.
Here here. They attended 'the management school of mumbo jumbo'. And yes, at least the higher percentage of the pilots know what they are doing otherwise it would have been 'lights out' years ago.

[Cactusjack]

Ret, the APNG announcement is planned for this month, a little later than expected, but it is imminent. By law they can't defer the publication of the annual report too much longer, and Pinocchio is busy fine tuning (well trying to fine tune) the finer details.
Their brothers at Skytrans have a special CASA audit starting Tuesday in Cairns. They were only audited 6 months ago or so, and now a special audit comprising AOC and parts 142 and 145 is about to begin. Naturally head office have been scurrying about for 2 weeks in a mad panic, tidying the furniture, asking pilots to have their uniforms ironed, been busy 'sweeping', you know all of those things. Funny that, I've never understood why people who supposedly know what they're doing and are acting compliantly would need to panic so feverishly before an audit? Anyway, it's a big few weeks ahead for he entrepreneur and the school teacher, maybe the cardboard cutout and the ex Gladstone check-in agent will lead the parade?

[Cactusjack]

Why would APNG hire the ex PX expats? APNG recently got rid of experienced expats to save money, so I can't imagine Captain TCAS and Pinocchio employing more skilled pilots.

[Speed Is Life]

Why would APNG hire the ex PX expats? APNG recently got rid of experienced expats to save money, so I can't imagine Captain TCAS and Pinocchio employing more skilled pilots.

If the PX guys are willing to move across on the APNG B scale contract they might!

[777tinpis]

You mean C scale

[WagnerPrincipal]

777tinpis; C scale with this crowd and their morals you would be lucky not to be paying for your ATR endorsement, and paying to work. They will certainly plumb whatever depths they can get away with.

[Cactusjack]

If Pinochio and Capt TCAS have it there way they will have any new starter put on 'Z' scale pay. The only way you will earn decent pay at APNG is if you are part of the 'inner sanctum', and even that comes with a risk if you are not a blood relative! Anyway, I hear the Skytrans audit last week was shall we say, interesting! Well at least that was the word around the bar!!

[Justa Dash]

Apparently only one family owned aircraft left in the Skytrans fleet. Delta heading across to PER at a bargain basement price or so the story goes. The family Super must be looking shaky!

[Cactusjack]

Justa Dash ;
One bit of silver remains
Apparently only one family owned aircraft left in the Skytrans fleet. Delta heading across to PER at a bargain basement price or so the story goes. The family Super must be looking shaky! Sold as scrap metal or sold to a museum?? Interesting how all owned aircraft have been sold, the Bentley has been sold, even the Cairns house on the hill has been sold? Why dispose of assets? They certainly are 'unique people', what's next, perhaps all the signed football jerseys in the boardroom will find their way onto EBay?

[Pundit]

How much longer can APNG last?

[Ret Sabala]

Indeed how long can Apng and Skytrans last? It certainly looks ominous. APNG funded Skytrans for many years, now it is also losing money. The economies of both countries are experiencing slow downs because of the reduction of expenditure as the mining boom goes from construction to supply. All the aircraft are old, most leased, and not much silver in the war chest by the sounds of it.
On the plus side the flying is still there in PNG, someone will have to do it. APNG provide services and connections to many small communities. I feel it is the managment that let them down; no commitment. Why would you when you are working for a company that has no regard for anything but the mighty $$.

[Cactusjack]

Indeed it does look ominous Ret;
Indeed how long can Apng and Skytrans last? It certainly looks ominous.Seems the local Mayor is a bit pissed off with them as well;

Roma makes bid for Qantas link | Toowoomba Chronicle (http://m.thechronicle.com.au/news/qantaslink-is-eyeing-western-queensland-mining-cen/2381088/)

NEWS
Roma makes bid for Qantas link
Chris Calcino (10th September 2014 6:00 AM)

QANTASLINK is eyeing western-Queensland mining centre Roma for a regular flight path from Wellcamp Airport.
Maranoa Regional Council has been pushing for air links between Toowoomba and Roma since Skytrans shelved flights in April.
Mayor Rob Loughnan said passenger numbers at Roma Airport in August had increased by 30 per cent since last year.
He said Qantas boss Alan Joyce had reassured council the company was "very interested in routes like ours".
"We were very disappointed when the Skytrans route fell over. It was probably a bit hasty, not to put too fine a point on it," he said.
"We're very hopeful of tapping into that market in the future.
"Qantas obviously has to do its business case but I'm confident we have a market for them."
Flight frequency and just how long the proposed route remains open would depend on the shelf-life of the mining industry in the state's west.
Cr Loughnan said provisions were in place to cater for an inevitable drop in numbers.
"There is no doubt that it will taper off, but the airport has been designed to manage that," he said.
"We haven't over-engineered the airport".

Never a good thing to upset and let down local communities. They have long memories!

[TBM-Legend]

Call in Jetgo....

[Cactusjack]

Take a small trip back in time;

PNGIndustryNews.net - Dogfight over PNG (http://www.pngindustrynews.net/storyView.asp?StoryID=798351278)

When asked about profitability for 2012, Siva refused to be drawn.
“I can’t go in financial profitability. We’ll publish information in due time,” he told PNG Report, with the AGM expected in May.
“Running an airline in PNG is a challenging place and is a vital part of the economy. And I’m a firm believer in the basics, a high quality service,” Siva said.

It will be interesting to see how, under his mantra, the nation’s largest privately owned airline charts that course.
Not looking too promising at the moment, some 15 months after that article was penned and that interview undertaken. So just like with Toomey, will the AGM release contain fancy pretty aeroplane pictures and glossy paper with lots of numbers and digits for the past financial year (due out in October) and contain platitudes and back slaps for Siva, resulting in a healthy bonus and plaque on the wall for the little man? Or will the financial results mean he will be dispatched back to Australia where a job cleaning Simons pool or teaching mumbo jumbo management courses awaits him? Only time will tell.

[socksfirst thenshoes]

Interesting, rumour had it that individuals were running the ruler over it for acquisition. Trading halt still in place I guess? "due to financially sensitive negotiations". Now, the financial results for the previous year not released till October, (what date Cactus?). Kina securities had them losing 31 million Kina last year. Supposedly they are buying new ATR's. Have negotiations for the sale of the airline fallen through? Could they not get the price they wanted? Hmmm....... Too many questions.
Cactus that was a nice link from the past, it will indeed be interesting reading the next instalment in the history of that "special mob". They must be running out of time.
Socks first then shoes
Midvale School for the gifted class of 63.
A mind reader.

[Cactusjack]

Cactus that was a nice link from the past
Thanks. Although a link from the past it is one that relates very much towards the airlines future. And as always it is the good experienced pilots up there that have been the backbone of the company that are getting shat on. Pinochio was out of his league in Australia and he is out of his league in PNG. I thought one of the keys to any airlines success is the adoption of a 'tried and tested formula'? Well it seems the trio of the Bentley Boy, Pinochio and Captain TCAS have had a try at two airlines now and what has the success ratio been thus far?
As for adding ATR's, you are correct socks n shoes, they are meant to be coming, but they haven't arrived yet. Maybe APNG will just end up with some of the old Maroomba tails that are flying around Queensland and nobody will notice the illusion? I mean Pinochio wouldn't! And besides, does anyone really want Captain TCAS touching a nice shiny new ATR?

[WagnerPrincipal]

Nah cactus TCAS can only fly the sim. The boys are going to love this in the dungeon-crew room- downstairs.

[777tinpis]

This thread is gold! Cactus you crack me up, excellent posts as usual :ok::D

[Cactusjack]

So, while APNG continues to flounder, and Skytrans continues to lose staff (52 in less than 12 months), contracts are lost (continuously, and even Elrose has now gone to Alliance), and they lose money, Bentley's and of course aircraft, two of those planes have popped up at Maroomba;

Australia's Maroomba Airlines to add two more Dash 8-100s - ch-aviation.com (http://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/31253-australias-maroomba-airlines-to-add-two-more-dash-8-100s)

Ever since Maroomba cut the Skytrans noose away from around its neck it has risen from strength to strength. Good work lads :ok: And it is great how the four ex Maroomba Dash 8's are now operating most of the Cairns flights. It's great advertising at least, having those 4 tails flying around Queensland advertising Maroomba and not Skytrans who are operating the aircraft! It only costs $20k per tail to repaint them, surely things aren't that tight? Oh well, dropping the free bag allowance from 20kg to 15kg might help a little, even though most people flying in and out of indigenous communities can't afford this :=

[Cravenmorehead]

Wagner I guess he would be safe and warm and cosy in a sim. Can't get in too much trouble there now can you.
Cactus I don't quite understand the article says the aircraft are leased from Skytrans? How many dashes do Maroomba have now and how many are on lease from Sh@ttrans?
Craven

[Cactusjack]

Hi Craven, yes it's a bit of a trail to follow so to speak (unlike the trails that Captain TCAS and Pinochio leave behind them everywhere they go :E) Skytrans leased 4 Dashies to Maroomba for a few years, but Maroomba has since returned them to Skytrans. The same 4 Dashies are the ones cruising around Queensland in Maroomba livery still. The 2 Dashies that Maroomba have just leased are former Skytrans Dashies. Team Wild sold them to a leasing company who in turn have leased them to Maroomba. And Craven, speaking of SIMS, even they can be broken so with Captain TCAS anything is possible! I still recall it was not that long ago that 'Slippery Steve' (prior to his slide into oblivion) was sprouting off in his loud obnoxious lame voice that he was going to turn Cairns into a Dashie training hub and put some Dash SIM's up here, and in turn make a nice profitable return! Of course, as with everything that Slippery touches the idea remained flaccid and amounted to nothing more than a wet dream....and that isn't mumbo jumbo.

[ShineyShoes2]

Could this mean Maroomba could be looking for dash guys soon?

[Fujiroll76]

Still looking for work Cactus? That's a shame...glad the deadwood has been removed. Haha

[Ret Sabala]

Spend enough time working for that crowd and you too may be looking for work, for whatever reason. Don't get on the wrong side of the silver haired one, or the self proclaimed expert on Dash 8's. They certainly are not your friends, A/PNG or Skytrans.

[Cactusjack]

Fujiroll from Gladstone, you wouldn't be a former part-time checkin agent now masquerading as a 'big time manager' alongside the silver haired one would you? Have you completed your 'mumbo jumbo management training' by the school teacher?
Ret Sabala, very true my friend very true. Just asked the three Engineers punted recently after being found in the cargo hold of one of the aircraft in Cairns 'a little worse for wear'. Or the loyal long term finance employee punted for no valid reason (FWA involved in that one now!) Oh yes, no loyalty is given by the 'family' to anybody outside the 'family', well except to TCAS and Pinochio :=
One must ask why two individuals who have single handedly contributed to causing much much damage at two of the silvered haired one's airlines could remain on the bookkeepers books? I wonder why??

[Fujiroll76]

Cactus,

No unfortunately I'm not, just have many friends at the airline. You clearly have your issues with the management but seriously get over it. For the few that I know who work at Skytrans, they all throughly enjoy it and from what I hear are a bunch of great guys. Pilots, Engineers, Ops Staff ect.

Managing an airline would be a hell of a job! Especially in the current aviation downturn, just ask Macair, Brindabella and Vincent of recent times, yet Skytrans still stand with plans to be around for many more years.

Time to let it go mate...move on.

[Dot Dot Dash]

Skytrans aren't sustainable for many reasons but they don't help themselves. Perhaps they should start by not referring to their staff as 'The Humans' (the school teacher does this) and in 'welcome' addresses, not threaten new staff with dismissal if they cross management (or words similar). The staff in the main, are fantastic but they are not respected by the owners who have the attitude of 'you're lucky to have a job with us in the first place, so be grateful' (this was actually said out loud). Is it any wonder there is so much legal action against them or that they continue to be subject to relentless negative posts on here by both former and existing employees? Do yourselves a favour Skytrans and employ senior staff who actually know how to run a business rather than drive it into the ground. If there was an award for this, you'd be up there with the worst of them.

[Ret Sabala]

I have to agree with you Mr Morse man with the previous post above. The same can be said for the Airlines of PNG managment. Pretty much runs throughout the whole corporate structure..
Fujiroll it is great to see loyalty in staff, indeed an admirable trait to have, I am sure it will see you well in the future. Just don't expect any sort of loyalty back from them.
Do what everyone does get the experience or whatever you can out of them and get out; exit stage left Boo Boo.

[Cactusjack]

Dot Dot Dash;
Your post pretty much sums them up perfectly. Management (the family) care only about themselves and their bank accounts. Anything and everything else is expendable, and I mean everything.

Skytrans Perhaps they should start by not referring to their staff as 'The Humans' (the school teacher does this) and in 'welcome' addresses, not threaten new staff with dismissal if they cross management (or words similar).
Oh yes, that old chestnut. That's what you get when you have a school teacher who thinks an airline which is made up of talented technical experts is a classroom full of Year 4 children. Never send a bush teacher to do an airline executives job. It was always going to fail. Nothing 'unique' about that.

The staff in the main, are fantastic but they are not respected by the owners who have the attitude of 'you're lucky to have a job with us in the first place, so be grateful' (this was actually said out loud). Again, nothing new in this. They have told many people the same disgusting thing. A few times at the silly weekly staff meeting this has been reiterated. It's a form of bullying and it is intimidation, and only a gutless incompetent manager would speak so unprofessionally and prattle off so much mumbo jumbo.

Is it any wonder there is so much legal action against them
No surprise whatsoever. That's what happens when yet again you have people who are not skilled Managers trying to be mangers. They act as if Australia is pretty much lawless like PNG and they do as they please, regardless. That's why they have ended up in endless amounts of strife. Cowboys trying to run an airline. Doomed to fail.

Do yourselves a favour Skytrans and employ senior staff who actually know how to run a business rather than drive it into the ground. If there was an award for this, you'd be up there with the worst of them. Sadly they have on occasion employed good managers, but that is long gone. Now it's just an entrepreneur, school teacher and ex rampie that talks it up big but produces nothing (no wonder they all gel together!), living the fantasy that they are big time airline executives. They are only fooling themselves. Too conceited to realise that there are other people out there that can see through the circus act and are very intelligent and absolutley have 'managements number'. Flash cars, fancy houses and fat bank accounts is nothing but a facade used to hide what lays beneath, hilariously the only ones that think nobody knows what lays beneath is the circus folks themselves! (Shhhhh here's a secret - we all know what you're all about!)

52 staff punted or quit in approximately 12 months. That tells a story all in itself.

[Cactusjack]

Update from the stock exchange dated 30 September 2014:

http://www.pomsox.com.pg/dimages/company_pdfs/28_2505.pdf

So the waiting game continues for the good people of APNG? Another extension of the 2013 financial results. That's got to have a few shareholders concerned? Especially when you consider the financial problems at the MD's other airline, not to mention redundancies at both airlines, aircraft sold at both airlines and even personal assets offloaded. The MD and Pinocchio are very busy at the moment scrambling about, hither and tither, avoiding eye contact with other humans while trying to make those balance sheets stack up. But don't worry folks, the school teacher just put more staff through some mumbo jumbo training, all 'uniquely' billed back to the struggling airline. At least somebody is making money out of the place :=
All we are waiting on now is an announcement from the part-time checkin manager that his dream has been fulfilled and they are going to start their own ground handling company!!!

[Unusual-Attitude]

How are you possibly going to fill your days once Scumtrans and APNG slip down the ****ter Cactus?! :E

[lilflyboy262...2]

Same thing I was thinking UA.

Cactus, while I appreciate your posts and it is quite interesting to watch... rather like a crappy soap opera on tv... I can't help but wonder... Did the boss kick your dog while running off with the missus?

[Justa Dash]

DDD a very accurate assessment of the airlines circumstances indeed. The slide started once the teacher realised that her business was floundering her charity bodies were questioning her competence so bullied her way into the airline. The autopsy will clearly demonstrate the correlation between her involvement and the trading decline. The economy chestnut is trotted out as the basis however the markets served don't have an option but air travel due the remoteness of there communities. If you burn your customers they find other equipment or operators as has been demonstrated. If you burn your staff they will not produce, the tears flowing at the recent redundancy announcement were soon to be realised as disingenuous when the jobs were re advertised, absolute amateurs. But all is not lost the Taipans blimp has been placed on ebay that should hold off divesting of the remaining Xmas tree QQF or will it?

[socksfirst thenshoes]

Actually Lilflyboy262...2 I quite enjoy the posts from Cactus. We need people to ask questions and bring forward relevant information even if it is sometimes a little repetitive, and maybe a little personal.

I am sure that you are aware that there are some in the business world with nefarious practices, those people should be outed and the public made aware of their sins. I am sure Campbell Newman is a worried man at present-for instance. If he has done no wrong.... well then he has nothing to worry about. After all the big end of town tried to silence Erin Brockovich, now she is a feted activist and campaigner for the little person. So think of Cactus as PPRune's version of Erin Brockovich , Mr Palmer, Labor or the Green's.


What I want to know is why is the company in a trading halt?
Why have they not released the financial report and guidance for the next year? That is akin to hiding your report card from your father when you have clearly been naughty.
Is the company up for sale?
As a listed company the shareholders have a right to know these things.
The company reports since they were listed is an interesting read and freely available on their website. Makes for interesting reading. Not one a prospective buyer or investor would be happy with that's for sure.


I have no beef with the group of companies, just want to keep the playing field level. Something that those that are not as good as they would like to think they are, don't like.


After all if you can't win by playing fair, just change the rules, 'eh boys.

[NCD]

An extension to APNG's trading halt.

A delay to the LINK announcement.

Interesting times to be sure.

[Cactusjack]

Justa dash and socksfirst, careful, negative speak towards 'the family' won't be tolerated. Punishment for you two will be by way of you having to attend the school teachers next mumbo jumbo management course, plus you get to spend a week in solitary confinement with 'he who does not engage with other humans', the cardboard cutout, TCAS and Pinochio! Either that or you will be unceremoniously walked out the building or sacked while on annual leave, you naughty humans. And as for making humans redundant or sacking them and then re advertising their positions, that old chestnut has been used on numerous occasions. Again just an example of their caring nature towards other humans!
Hope you have your vomit bucket ready;

http://s3.amazonaws.com/cuttings/cuttingpdfs/14042/2e54dc2c47ec39983836705b94391927.pdf

Yep, that must be why they charge excess baggage on the northern routes out to those less fortunate communities yet the more southern western farmers routes don't get charged :=

[lilflyboy262...2]

Couldn't agree with you more socks. I wasn't saying that he shouldn't be airing this dirty laundry.

What I was getting at, was that this is beyond dirty laundry. This seems more like a personal vendetta.

[fugitive]

We seem to have got off the track slightly, here.The main problem is,what has happened to what were good companies.
The problem with both and you could say that about the main Oz airlines,AN,QF and no doubt, probably JQ.
They say that successful companies are all about the people who work at the rock face and the company will succeed if your employees are right behind management(who are are capable) and vice versa.
All of the above are good examples of that and dare I say it,Virgin is the opposite,but look at the people managing it and talk to the employees.
When management attack their workforce,there will be retaliation and there is only one way to go from there.
To bring the thug mentality into management will never work and just look at some of the nicknames that they are given.
Anyway,it hurts everyone and we are all losers,including shareholders.
Surely the people oversee management don't want to commit hari kari,so why do they sit back.
Anyway,that is the way aviation in Oz and also PNG has behaved for the last 25 or so years and it wont change.

[Cactusjack]

Lilflyboy, I assume you are talking about me? Then again there are a number of people on here that seem to have been treated the same way.
What I was getting at, was that this is beyond dirty laundry. This seems more like a personal vendetta.
Not at all. It's quite simple really, do the right thing by me and I will praise you for life, do the wrong thing and I will tell people all about it. I have said on previous occasions that there are good people in every company, APNG and Skytrans are no different. But if you read the multitude of postings from different people you will identify a particular theme very very quickly. And again as I have said before, if you do the right thing by people in life then you will go through life with pride and a reputation for being a good person/company. But treat people like the dirt beneath your feet then prepare for the backlash. It's called karma, what goes around comes around. And there is an easy fix for those whose companies treat people like ****e - Do the right thing and there will be no basis for negative comments.
So lilflyboy, what you call Vendetta others would call 'simply telling the truth'. It's your call how you want to view it, but I can assure you of this - If you haven't worked for either of these companies in recent years and been strung out to dry by them then your comments are based on assumptions only and not on fact. On the other hand there are many negative comments on here that are based on fact.

[Fujiroll76]

suck it up cactus and move on...maybe see a psychiatrist or something.

[Australopithecus]

So let me get this straight....all of this is Cactus's problem? He is just posting about a collection of sphincters in the public interest. It is probably cathartic for him to do so. Let the man vent. Think of it as a restaurant review: we are all, in one way or another, consumers of whatever shiite managements dish up. Diner, passenger or pilot, I want to know what is going on behind the scenes.

[fugitive]

I agree Cactus,this forum is open to all. The type of people you are talking about are not capable of fixing things or logical discussion.their response is always to shoot the messenger.
Just remember,they are the downside of aviation and they will never get the message.:ugh:

[WagnerPrincipal]

Cactus I enjoy your posts. Don't worry you are far from needing a Psychiatrist, (I know you weren't worried), it's the people that this company end up with in management roles that need the professional help.
I know they watch this site so do yourselves a favour guys.
Clearly from your insight and large data base of information it is obvious that you have been burnt by this organisation. Also by your eloquent writing style and good grammar that you are quite intelligent, so keep up the good work mate. There are many in a similar position. It would be good to see the management, aka Pinocchio, BBoy and TCAS despatched to the history books. The skies would certainly be a safer place.
No Wild ass guesses there.

[777tinpis]

Keep up the good work cactus, I enjoy reading your posts. Many current and former employees of both companies would thoroughly agree as well. :ok:

[Flying Bear]

What Australopithecus, fugitive, WagnerPrincipal and 777tinpis said...:ok:

[Pinky the pilot]

Myself likewise.

I worked very briefly for the former MBA:ooh: another lifetime ago, and am totally bewildered as to how things have changed over the years.:sad:

[Cactusjack]

Pinky, there are a few punters out there who worked for MBA at some stage in their career, and it was a more people friendly environment. Same applies for the earlier version of APNG and particularly Skytrans before the Rothschild wannabe's took it over and turned it into what it is today.

[Ret Sabala]

Cactus you are so close to the truth it is scarey. I wanna have a beer with you.

[Cactusjack]

Cactus you are so close to the truth it is scarey. I wanna have a beer with you.Any day mate, my shout :ok:
Plus we could have a giggle about their most recent antics such as them dreaming about starting a ground handling company, outsourcing their I.T department and having it also provide services for other companies, plus the fact that the lease is up on the head office and they want to ditch the building to save money!!! Then there is the even funnier stories about TCAS taking off with a load of Mine workers but with no F/A onboard (CASA toasted him over that one), and once again TCAS allowing for and planning and conducting flights to a port not listed on their AOC (another CASA pineapple for that one), and of course Pinocchio and Bentley Boy supporting their loyal CP the entire way :=
But just like the Demtel add "but wait there's more" and the list continues, but continue over some beers it shall.

[Ret Sabala]

I can't wait. If I didn't have first hand knowledge and know them I would have said you're kidding. Premium beer for you old chap.

[fugitive]

Ret, are you dyslectic,every time I read your posts it would seem so.How well do you know them?:=

[Che cows with guns]

Cactus, that's amazing forgetting an F/A planning to ports not on the AOC, if it was not who I think you are talking about I would have said NAH not possible.
I wonder if there was an angry outburst associated with the events.
CHEers

[Justa Dash]

Relocating to the airport is the most positive move the revitalised management team have made since assuming the reins.
Management of GA or Regional companies need to have a sleeves up, ties off and supportive approach.
Demountable buildings may not be as flash as the city and will likely see some jump (please be HR)but will serve to galvanise those that remain.
Maybe a good time to drop the corporate image focus and put the clients on the pedestal and return to being commercially driven. After all this approach worked back in the day!

[Cactusjack]

Yep, tardiness alright. Twin Otter crash at Kokoda, Dash 8 crash at Madang, and runway incursions in Australia. Flights operated without a flight attendant, advertised flights into Oakey which at the time was not on their AOC (CASA had screendumps from their website and caught out TCAS and Pinochio lying :=) and the list goes on. And that's the public stuff already out there. I haven't (and won't) start on all the other stuff!

CASA and the CAA doing a wonderful job I might add. Nothing the Regulator needs to see here, next operator please........

[Flying Bear]

Dejapoo,

Just to set you straight - as your comment shows you have misjudged and maligned another, who was adversely affected by this company...

You are correct that "another PPRuNe poster" was CP delegate on the day of the "flight attendant-less flight" but to set the matter straight - he was NOT aware that this decision had been made before the aircraft was operated and he certainly DID NOT approve it.

The flight was dispatched on the order of the commercial manager while the CP delegate was away on another task. There were some words exchanged in the McClown St office once he found out that his delegation had been exercised inappropriately by another. Certainly, some would have everyone believe that the CP stand-in was responsible - after all, he couldn't defend himself in the organisation once given the boot!

Maybe that's what led to him being terminated, or maybe it was because he wouldn't "pencil-whip" checks in the sim to save costs, or because he questioned certain practices...

Regardless, there was no "counselling" of him from CASA - and he has been the CP of another operator for a few years now...

[Cactusjack]

Said commercial manager was always actioning non compliant activities all in the name of profits! I also recall Skytrans operating emergency evac flights for a number of years without that being approved on their AOC either. They made good money from those 'charters' and CASA never caught on. No surprises in that. I also recall TCAS being pissed off with having to wait on ramp at CNS one morning so he quite simply commenced taxiing without ATC approval, and he knew it! Of course he got caught at the holding point and when questioned by ATC he claimed 'radio interference'. He did manage to jump the queue and save a couple of bucks fuel := Of course it was an RPT flight but hey he never got busted. Safety, what safety?

Dejapoo, to set the matter straight I can assure you that flying bear was an innocent party in said incident, and he was unjustifiably pineappled and despatched in a cowardly and spineless manner, all the while being innocent. This group of companies has a history of screwing the good people while looking after the lawbreakers. Good people have principals and ethics and that (in the companies eyes) costs them profits at times when they are told 'sorry, we can't do that, it's illegal'. The lawbreakers just say 'ok, in the name of profits let's just do it'. The history and evidence of who has been rogered and who hasn't speaks for itself. The companies are in deep strife and karma has caught up finally, sad but true. They are reaping what they have sowed, sad for all the good people, but that's a fact.

[Flying Bear]

No worries, Dejapoo, no offence taken...

That period was a dark time for me and I struggled to deal with the constant politics and back room games - at the same time as trying to manage my obligations to training and checking and maintaining a high flying load. The decade previous to that I spent in an organisation full of honorable people and I guess that meant I took the integrity of others (ie managers) for granted. Mistakenly...

In retrospect, my coming to their company was because AS was on a CASA direction to divulge himself of the HOTC role. So, why me? I had CAR 217 management experience, sure, but nothing on Dash 8 and I'm sure there were plenty of others to choose from? I reckon they wanted an ignorant, ex-military "yes man", which they soon learnt wasn't me! So, at the first underhanded opportunity, out I go!

Re NB from CASA, after all was done and dusted - I had a good chat with him and I think some things were resolved.

Certainly took me a while to get over it and gain perspective - but from it all I learnt a lot and I hope my colleagues are now the beneficiaries of it.

As for CJ's part in this, his mutual pain / frustration has helped me understand that there were other things in play other than my dynamic.

All the best!

[fugitive]

It looks like the shareholders have been dudded again.By the way, I got a bridge in Sydney for sale if there is any cash left in the kitty.
Whatever,the APNG Titanic is still headed for the iceberg with that crew in charge.

[Cactusjack]

Fugitive, probably the only sensible thing the school teacher has ever done is advise her 'no eye contact husband' not to make Pinochio CEO in Australia. Of course he didn't listen and the place turned to ****e. But don't let that stand in the way of anything, let's ship him off to PNG and give him another shot at being a CEO - oh dear, another epic fail! But never mind, TCAS gets to fly up there every week with Pinocchio and hold hands in the back seat of the plane.

And boys, as for the subject of CASA and NB. The problem was that TCAS was caught red handed being a naughty boy and didn't like it. Then he cried like a baby and made a complaint to the ICC! Ha, what a fool. He should've known better, and that complaint sealed his fate. Of course he and Pinocchio felt so hard done by, but the truth of the matter, as can be seen clearly, was that CASA held every right not to feel comfortable with TCAS as CP or Pinocchio as CEO. Oh how the truth is always revealed :ok:

[Ret Sabala]

Thanks Flying Bear, Cactus and Dejapoo, it makes things a lot clearer from my perspective. What a disaster they are. I really feel for the staff at APNG. There is not the same regulative environment up there to keep Cowboys such as TCAS in check. I think tho' that the people up there ie "punters" realise it and have voted with their feet. Time will tell. TCAS was always at pains to say how the travelling public percieved the airline as dangerous, I almost chocked when he said that. I hope the perception can be changed, but I feel it will require a change of management and a bucket load of money to do it. Perhaps selling it off will work out for the best.
Ret
Ps Fugitive I am not dyslexic. Just a very naughty boy.

[Justa Dash]

I vouch 100% for Flying Bears version of the non FA trip to ABM. At the time the book keeper was on leave and said commercial manager acting took a very liberal interpretation of the sub 19 seat exemption they held. FB was not contacted during this process. Think the CM may still have held the AOC delegation at the time as hangover from GM in QRA merge. He didn't have a lot of regard for rules perhaps being another PNG product but did have an uncanny ability to build relationships and win work, kept under control suspect that he would have been very welcome there by all bar the teacher at the moment. Surprised he didn't turn up at APNG.

[Cactusjack]

I'm still wanting to know why 'he who is too scared to look into the eyes of other humans' and the school teacher have flogged all the Dash 8's they owned, sold the Bentley, the house and now the business interests in Townsville?? I certainly hope that if any of their airlines fail the offloaded asset monies are returned or distributed to the rightful creditors :=

Justa dash, the CM won't be welcome back in PNG. He is a snake oil salesman and left a bad taste in a few mouths so don't expect him to show up any time soon. He also didn't get along with the school teacher, and when she came onboard it was time for him to go. The school teacher also got rid of the karate kicking ginger ninja as well, depleting Commercial to what is now left - the part time Gladstone checkin agent/wannabe Manager. How farcical. Anyway, keep watching the skyline folks as the TMR contracts should've been released to the successful bidders by now, to be released by the government publicly in January I believe, and what I have heard from a well placed source in Sydney, there may be more SAAB's than dinosaur Dash 8's gracing the Queensland skies soon :ok:

Oh well with bills mounting, creditors owed, company being sued, runway incursions and crashes in PNG they must have lots to chat about over a cup of Jamaica Blue every Saturday :E

[socksfirst thenshoes]

Hey CJ just read your article in post 129, I almost threw up well I did actually. That rag is a freebie and I have never seen it say anything negative about people who pay for advertising. Maybe they can get TCAS's son to write a nice article for them in the Cairns Post, that bastion of journalistic excellence.
The thing that really irked me was the pretence of them being charitable folk, bloody hell!!! True philanthropists don't blow their own trumpets. Of course they give money to the Catholic church, after all it bailed out MBA in the early years. Wonder who will bail them out next? Probably the PNG government.
It is the anniversary of MCJ on Monday. Just so they don't forget.
One positive since they have pissed off the Taipans are performing defeated Adelaide today.

[Cactusjack]

The thing that really irked me was the pretence of them being charitable folk, bloody hell!!! True philanthropists don't blow their own trumpets.Very true. And a true philanthropist wouldn't charge excess baggage on the northern routes that include indigenous towns while waiving excess on the western routes :=
As for the Taipans, do you know if the Skytrans blimp is still being flown at local games in Cairns? I thought it was the best aircraft in their fleet, certainly was the youngest!!!

*Defence* *Defence* *Defence*

[NCD]

Article from yesterday's "The National".

Major shareholders of Airlines PNG said they wanted new shares to increase there stake in the airline firm.

Airlines PNG confirmed receiving requests from Ok Tedi Landowners, Fly River provincial government, Mineral Resources Development Company and NASFUND to increase their respective shareholdings.....

.......As an integral part of the overall restructuring of the airlines ownership, the company's founder and major shareholder Sir a John Wild has agreed to the majority of his shares in the airline being cancelled, thereby making way for the increased shareholding by institutional shareholders.

Sir John said: "In order to ensure the long term substainability of Airlines PNG and facilitate further capital raising by the company I am happy to gift a significant portion of my shares back to the airline. This fulfils a dream of mine to see the airline majority owned for the people of PNG and strongly positioned to carry on its service to the country."


Not the full article but gives the main thrust

[Cactusjack]

Airlines PNG’s chief executive Muralee Siva said: “Our commitment to serving the needs of the PNG travelling public remains the cornerstone of our operations.
“With greater involvement now from institutional shareholders and the continued support of the people we will ensure much needed competition in air transportation services is available to assist in developing this great country.”I always thought SAFETY is the cornerstone of an airline? Once again I didn't see the 'S' word mentioned in this latest blurb from Pinocchio.

[Cactusjack]

He needs a beta lockout on his mouth!
What ****eYou better explain to the little fella what one is first! Or perhaps TCAS (who probably invented the 'beta gate skip manoeuvre') can explain it to Pinocchio when they fly up to PNG this week for their 3 day work week? As for the articles wording, it definitely wasn't Pinocchio's words, have you ever read his emails or reports? I recall one occasion where he wrote to CASA and the CASA unnamed Manager (off the record of course) then asked a few of us whether 'Pinocchio ever graduated from school' as he was the most 'dense and illiterate' CEO the CASA manager had ever had the displeasure of dealing with! Priceless!! Well, that was until Slippery Steve came along and the word 'dense' took on a whole new meaning!

[beached az]

CJ we may well have had a beer together at the dero club in the past, your info is right on the money.

The Garbo from Gladstone, ex bag snatcher from POM was determined to run Dash8s to YPAM, despite good advise to the contrary "if you build it they will come" and go they did, to the competition and soon more competition sprang up. :ok:

Undeterred the genius came up with another "organic growth opportunity" and decided it would be a good idea to sell pizza and beer (beer inbound TSV only as Palm was dry by then) on the 8 minute sectors :D

As for pilots working check in, ramp, traffic, etc all been done before in TSV.
"flight and duty times.......???" :ugh:

My favourite memory of Thick Miney is when he got up at the monthly back slap and compared himself to Richard Branson with respect to the challenges of building an airline :D:D:D a few of us got a kick out of that one....

Keep up the good work the truth is out there...........
And would you believe his ex wife is a School Teacher....:D

[Fujiroll76]

CJ,

Unsure of your 'source' in Sydney regarding the renewal of the TMR contracts. However I find it hard to believe REX if they stand by their 'all or nothing threat' would be participating in any of the QLD runs. Let alone the lack of equipment to operate on such runs..

Everyone is eagarly waiting the announcement but with the crunch line coming close, with the new contracts commencing Jan 1st 2015- I wouldn't be surprised if runs stay with the current operators. Cairns is looking fairly stable however Brissy and Townsville could see some movement.

Air North is a possibility to enter the market but again, lack of aircraft and maintenance facilities would be difficult given the timeline.

Jetgo, Corporate Air?? Unsure if these guys are in for a chance but understand they did apply.

Be Happy,
Fuji

[Cactusjack]

Great post beached az, you are accurate in your commentary and yes the dero club and Cactusjack's has been hammered by me on numerous occasions! I'm wondering if you are the guy that played blackjack with me in the nude at 0500 one morning???? Anyway the Gladstone Garbo fits the management mould perfectly - a bully, incompetent, arrogant and absolutely full of it. Naturally he managed to pull the wool over the eyes of the school teacher and 'he who is afraid to interact with other humans with eye contact'. But that isn't too hard to do!

As for pilots working check in, ramp, traffic, etc all been done before in TSV.
"flight and duty times.......??? Don't let compliance with flight duty times get in the way of making a couple of bucks! I'm sure that Slippery Steves legacy, the half a million dollar pile of ****e Merlo, will handle monitoring those hours accurately! Then again ol Slippery introduced similar systems at Skywest and Maroomba and cost those companies dearly. Of course at Skytrans Pinocchio yet again was fooled by the snake oil salesman and fell for the system hook, line and stinker! Perhaps Pinocchio has taken it to APNG and uses it to run TCAS SIM?

[Flying Bear]

Maisk,

MT is one and the same...

Integrity? MT was not alone in being devoid of this. The other colourful characters described herein were also very challenged on the integrity front.

[Justa Dash]

TMR will decide based on price despite all the assurances of diligence etc. it will be Rex and Skytrans in the race as Airnorth apparently withdrew from the race. They should retain what they had as operationally crews and engineers etc have done very well in a tuff operating environment.
TM was very much the player as was evident if you ever attended the FA grad parties or spoke to half of the back office.
Pinnacle was an evening with the CASA FA rep during an audit, eventually all was revealed and some disappeared quietly. Credit where it's due he, Ninja and GB did bring in the work. Company grew from 1-10 aircraft in 5 years with "audited"profit statements. Story was they were the only senior staff to go of there own volition in the SMT clean out

[Tubular Bells]

Sounds like a fun place to work!!! But isn't aviation like that in general.
Sounds like Skytrans are in a bit of a pickle indeed. Question- selling off the fathers shareholding in the PNG side of things, will that mean that the family have no more interest in the company? I wonder how much they got for it? Will this now be used to refinance Skytrans? bigger newer aircraft etc.
Who will own Airlines of PNG in the future and will they be getting new aircraft? Rumours of ATR's but nothing seen or heard as of yet.
Are PX still anting to have an interest?

[Cactusjack]

Dejapoo
Complete professional. Where is he now? Took a $400k payout and retired to live the good life. Last spotted strutting around like a rooster and helping a different operator try to pick up the TMR contract!

Tubesteak
Sounds like Skytrans are in a bit of a pickle indeed. Question- selling off the fathers shareholding in the PNG side of things, will that mean that the family have no more interest in the company? I wonder how much they got for it? Will this now be used to refinance Skytrans? bigger newer aircraft etc.Doubt it about the aircraft. You need contracts and customers for that, and they are struggling with both. As for distancing themselves from APNG it is probably to avoid the incoming lawsuits stemming from the Dash crash.

And now that the free tea, coffee and bickies have been removed from Mcleaod street they are making a few bucks from the coffee machine! It's about the only money making idea that the Gladstone Garbo has implemented in his tenure!
They have also been stopped from selling tickets on the government routes from January 2015 forward :=

[Ret Sabala]

Today marks the third anniversary of P2-MCJ's accident.
RIP Jeffery Ako and the 27 others that died that day.

[fugitive]

Ret, the word in Cairns is,TCAS was sent up to PNG to clear up the mess left by his predecessor,especially the manuals.
He now says, he has restored the company to good health.
Although he had differences with CASA down south,he left on good terms and most of those problems were not his responsibility as he was on leave at the time. His deputy was in the chair at that time.

[Cactusjack]

Today marks the third anniversary of P2-MCJ's accident.
RIP Jeffery Ako and the 27 others that died that day. And may the consciences of the airlines executive management finally be pricked and may many sleepless nights ensue.
The families of the deceased deserve justice. When will those accountable managers be held to account finally??

[Chocks Away]

Company grew from 1-10 aircraft in 5 years

Just to set the record straight, Justa Dash, they did no such thing.
In fact when AS was jammed in as the replacing chiefP, QRA had 8 dash8's they'd purchased from Qantas AND an International AOC too, with the boundaries of the International Date Line back to the Thai/Malay border... airframes were operating from Butterworth; Tonga/Fiji; 2 on the eastern seaboard and 2 at skipps... so in fact the "socks & sandals brigade" shrunk the operation after forfeiting the international OAC & severing any good relations established with the many capital city brokers... Dash 8's into Palmy and all other sorts of other broken rules followed, as they started receiving multiple "show-cause" notices ... Pity the good name of the C404 Skytrans days was tarnished by the Inland Pacific/Corporate Air Services (AAH) small town mentality, it could have been so much more successful :hmm:

Anyway, no use crying over spilt milk. :rolleyes:

[PALMIS]

Chocks

As a frequent viewer but rare poster on Pprune, with regards APNG , I am at a loss as to your reference to the Inland Pacific/QAS mentality.
APNG purchased Inland Pacific to obtain an Australian RPT A.O.C. which included external charter rights to PNG and Solomons. This AOC was needed to allow the transfer rego of PNG registered -8's to an Australian AOC as there was (I understand) a prohibition on export of the Dashes from PNG unless for Company use.
After the purchase of Inland Pacific, the "we know boats" mentality of the new owners quickly made IPA unprofitable.( Flying Dash 8's on a 10 minute sector to replace 404/402's , one or more of which could sit on the ground at Palm till the afternoon rush back to ABTL.)
At that stage, realising that they needed more utilisation for the -8"s they decided to expand and purchase Skytrans (which was a great and profitable operation).
They then stuffed that operation also trying to make it fit what APNG wanted, and not what the customer needed or was profitable..

[Cactusjack]

So basically we have two 'once good airlines' placed in the hands of 'he who doesn't make eye contact', Pinocchio and the school teacher and the outcome is...... Speaks volumes really doesn't it?

[Chocks Away]

Not quite Palmis.
Corporate Air Services (in latter years renamed AAH) was the Cairns based management arm of APNG (old Milne Bay). When QRA gained it's Aust domestic AOC it was able to ferry it's purchased D8's to "the parent company's maintenance base" at Jacksons Field. They all went across on the QRA AOC, under their QF rego's, had total makeovers and most were re-rego'd under the VH-QQ series and re-deployed back in Australia on the QRA certificate.
QRA, as the Australian sister company of APNG, gained it's International AOC quickly and gained further work offshore, while Corporate Air Services went ahead with their purchase of the Garbutt based Inland Pacific and latter, as you say, Skytrans in 2006.
Two D8's were also at various times in Tonga and Solomons but under the P2 (APNG) lease/register.
Good plans to start with, growing APNG's interests but it lost it's way when it shrunk back into QLD and the matching mentality.
Hope to see APNG kick on 'cause there's too much to lose and so much out there (for the right operators:ok:)

[Duck Pilot]

Any rumours still going around about a possible merge with ANG? Would still actually make logical sense regardless of all the negative spin that is generated on this forum.

With ANGs restructuring and fleet renewal, now would be the appropriate time from an administrative standpoint.

Form a good good management team from both organisations and you would have a highly profitable airline. And there are good people from both organisations who could make it work, contrary to what some people on this forum might believe.........

[Unusual-Attitude]

Form a good good management team from both organisations and you would have a highly profitable airline. And there are good people from both organisations who could make it work, contrary to what some people on this forum might believe.........


Hahaha....good one!!!! :}

You're right, there are good people within both organisations, unfortunately they are often over ridden by 'wontok-ism', crony-ism and a bunch of other 'ism's!

About the last thing you want is for Px to become 'profitable'....can you imagine the how much more corruption/nepotism profit would attract?!?

No, PX is a government sponsored job creation scheme to employ lots of people who would otherwise be on the streets in all likely hood. To make it otherwise in the cultural/political environment that pervades in PNG is to invite disaster IMHO.

[geeup]

So is MRDC buying the Wild family trust out of their 50% management share of APNG for an exorbitant price? :sad:

[Justa Dash]

Chocks,
Your recollection is somewhat flawed
AS arrived when the fleet consisted of one aircraft (VH-JSZ MSN008 now QQC) and crew in Mar 05, the aircraft returned from butterworth around the same time after a four month arrangement with RAAF via adagold.
The only other international contract held by QRA/Skytrans was the TOLL/ADF contract to Dili which lasted 6 years. QRA gained an IAOC mid 2007 and had approval to operate CNS/POM RPT, they did not operate the service unless to cover APNG.
CNS had two copper mine contracts,PMK RPT and after Macair cape and gulf
BNE had a coal mine with 4 aircraft and TMR the other during 2010 QQM also arrived the first of three DH3
to secure this volume of work in this period of time Commercial/Flight ops and engineering had to be and were a cohesive unit securing many sound contracts. AS was intrinsic to this success.
The slide started late 2010 which has been well documented in various forums.
Airframe data follows
1 QQA EX P2-??? PER 01/06
2 QQB EX TQO QF PER 01/06
3 QQC FORMERLY JSZ CNS 03/05
4 QQD EX P2-??? DRW 09/06
5 QQE EX BOING CAPITAL CNS 11/06
6 QQF EX P2-MCO CNS 03/07
7 QQG EX P2-??? PER 09/07
8 QQH ex gcas BNE 03/08
9 QQI leased BNE 06/08
10 QQJ ex gcas BNE 07/09
11 QQK leased BNE 09/09
12 QQL leased BNE 04/10

[cnic]

Although a little of topic. I heard the sad news that Sir John Wild passed away yesterday. A sad day for APNG.

[fugitive]

I hear Skytrans may have lost another good. Contract.Brings a tear to your eye doesn't it.
Just imagine how terrible it could have been if they didn't have such good managers running the show.
If only TCAS was still there. ah well, losers can't be winners!!

[cnic]

Yes they have lost it to REX

[Cactusjack]

Good news for REX!! Even by Simon Wilds own mouth he admits they are just a 'family business', and judging by the way they ran it he was correct!
The Government wanted strong, robust, compliant, reliable and safe contractors to deliver its important people around the network, so REX was an obvious choice when compared to the 'family business' run by an entrepreneur, Garbo and school teacher. No doubt TCAS and Pinocchio will be distraught, however they can take pride knowing that they did contribute immensely to this mess :=
My thoughts are for the frontline workers, especially pilots who have endured a lot of crap over the past few years thanks to the Muppets at the top. I hope the good people get picked up within industry.

It will be interesting to see what comes out of today's emergency management huddle which went all day. Last night the school teacher told all the students not to speak to media or anybody about the situation. I guess none of the kids listened!! Kids have no respect for their teachers these days :=

[Cactusjack]

In brief: Share restructuring and recapitalisation at Airlines PNG, and other business stories - Business Advantage PNG (http://www.businessadvantagepng.com/brief-share-restructuring-recapitalization-airlines-png-business-stories/)

[cnic]

The Wild family have had little to do with APNG for some time now. This new deal will be the final axe to the relationship. With the death of Sir John Wild I think Simon will no longer be interested in running an airline.

[socksfirst thenshoes]

It is very difficult to own 60% of a company and not have a lot to to do with it. SW was the chairman of the board and had majority say in the operation. It was just you never saw him, he was too busy with Skytrans and his other interests, but believe me he was the faceless person that they meant when they said the, "the board says". Now NASFUND and MRDC pull the strings and decide on operational matters. Effectively the Wild's are no longer the bosses.
Wild's 5%
MRDC 41%
NASFUND 40%
Public 14%
It will be interesting to see what price the shares come back onto the market at. My bet 13 Toea down from 33 toea. I suppose the money raised will be used to pay off the debts. After all debts settled I suppose the Wild's only have 5% of what was once a quite profitable operation.
I think it will be a better place to work at with a committed board.
Hopefully the re capitalisation will be enough.
I still predict pain for the troops though. It has been left a basket case, which needs lots of capital to see it go forward, but PNG has many resource projects coming up so in the long run it will ok, I think?

[Justa Dash]

If you went on form he at stretch may just make the bench.
The clowns in PNG will be backslapping and high fiveing each other at this "success".
Reality with PNG is that air transport is a must not a nice to have, competent management would have traded out of the mess making the difficult calls as required to do so.
This lot would have achieved the current result with a brown paper bag.

[geeup]

MRDC currently own 49% of Hevilift.
They are getting 41% of APNG.
And are the front runner to buy 49% of PX??

Perhaps they should make an offer on TravelAir..

[Cactusjack]

The Wild family have had little to do with APNG for some time now. This new deal will be the final axe to the relationship. With the death of Sir John Wild I think Simon will no longer be interested in running an airline.
Not so sure about that. Simon is still the MD, Pinochio was Skytrans CEO then moved to APNG and TCAS was Skytrans CP and then moved to APNG. To say that the Wilds have little control or influence is a little naive. By the condition of both his airlines it would certainly be in the best interest if other entities had control of and ran the airlines as the current Muppets are useless.

[cnic]

You will find that Simon is the Chairman of the Board and not the MD of APNG. As far as the day to day running of APNG he has no hands on time except for a monthly board meeting. The board must make group decisions, he has been over ruled by other board members and does not have the same control that he has at Skytrans. My understanding is with the Wild family shares being handed back the board will be changing and that the Wild's will no longer be part of the Board.

[wheredidwhogo]

Cactusjack


Mate you are a nasty unit. This guy (Skytrans) you go for the throat everyday and 95% of your 1000 posts dad died yesterday have respect please. The airline who employs my friends probably a little nervous right now. I am convinced you are a ex disgruntled flight attendant? At 1000 posts on pprune your clearly no longer working or near the airport or have too much time on your hands. Cactus your probably a good bloke but please enough is enough my only hope is Simon when he cashes up spends $$$ and finds out who you are and sues you and your gold fish your are a cancer to pilots and aviation. Best you find another forum old mate. Maybe I am wrong and I only share this view then accept my apologies.

[Hailstop3]

I'm with you wheredidwhogo. Get a life Cactus because your drivel shows just how shallow you are. Have a bit of respect at least for a few days and put the dagger in its sheath for a bit.

[cnic]

Agreed, whatever the grudge John senior was a gentleman and deserves some respect. Without his wonderful kind of crazy none of this would be possible.

[Cactusjack]

The thread isn't about Sir Johns death, it's about the airlines overall, regardless of the fathers death. I see Simon is still happy to make comment to the media about the businesses, even though SJW has passed away.
You all defend Simon, but who defends those killed at Kokoda or Madang? Hypocrites.

[tail wheel]

Too much repetitious drivel, too many people in love with the sound of their own keyboard.

We'll give it a break for a day or two and see if a few people want to pull their heads in, or whether the Mods should limit who has access to this thread...

I understand John Snr passed away recently. My sincere condolences to the Wild family. I knew John when he was the architect in Port Moresby back in the 1960s.