SKYTRANS - Cairns - new management team

[Mumbai Merlin]

Reported in today's Cairns Post is an article relating to Skytran's and their management team.
(article behind a paywall)

[markis10]

Executive summary thanks to google "The airline company has appointed qualified pilot and former Virgin Blue and LifeFlight operations boss Tim Healee as the new group chief"

[Paragraph377]

Are TCAS, Sargent Shultz Smith and the not-so-Wild’s part of the new team? Great aircraft to fly if you like low wages and vintage aircraft.

[CAVOK92]

Word on the street is Skytrans have made some operations staff redundant, citing cash flow issues. I wonder if they will still go ahead with their CS-PN-RK service?

[Pavement]

Word on the street is Skytrans have made some operations staff redundant, citing cash flow issues. I wonder if they will still go ahead with their CS-PN-RK service?

Underwritten by the airports and QLD Government. Will make money for them without pax. As Kerry said “you only get one Alan Bond”.

[CAVOK92]

Hadn’t heard the service was underwritten. I was under the impression it was an attempt at the leisure market.

[morno]

Of course everyone commenting on here must be able to do better and knows the financials and everything of the company :hmm:

[minigundiplomat]

Rather confused by the title of this thread as Skytrans seem to have a new management team every week. The former CEO managed to assemble and retain a reasonable team, but they all seem to have left since the former CEO of Air Niugini arrived.

[Duck Pilot]

Rather confused by the title of this thread as Skytrans seem to have a new management team every week. The former CEO managed to assemble and retain a reasonable team, but they all seem to have left since the former CEO of Air Niugini arrived.

Former Air Niugini CEO? Elaborate further with who that person is.

[minigundiplomat]

Former Air Niugini CEO? Elaborate further with who that person is.

I believe they have a website. Can’t miss him, he loves the media…..

[Capt Fathom]

Skytrans?



I believe they have a website. Can’t miss him, he loves the media…..
Alan Milne appears once on the Skytrans website…. He is the CEO after all.

[NCD]

Bit harsh in your comments there I feel Kagamuga.

From what I understand, no-one believed he could EVER fix PX, but there were a hell of lot that hoped he could ....and there were also quite a few that were surprised he managed to hang in there as long as he did.

But you know what, I seriously believe that when he left , he was able to do so with his integrity intact. Bit of a badge of honour for someone who was employed within a PNG SOE, especially PX.

Lukim yu.

[Duck Pilot]

I think Alan was probably a victim of the COVID mess like most of us. He was certainly a great asset to ANG, particularly in a difficult time after the 737 accident that occurred just before he started.

I also noticed they have another two recent ex PNG blokes in management, both of whom have a good reputation in the industry.

[Kagamuga]

NCD, you are correct. Post removed.

[geeup]

NCD, you are correct. Post removed.

And yet I thought it was a fair post & accurate post

[Kagamuga]

geeup, so did I, alas others think otherwise.
PNG politics I'm afraid.

[Maddogyamaddog]

Last week some of their pilots were asked to take a 1 day pay cut.

[Epicurus]

Skytrans (the original) was a great regional airline when the Barnard’s owned it. Great people, great atmosphere and a great place to work. Once the Wild’s got their grubby hands on the airline, along with the then CEO Mr Siva, they kept growing the airline by purchasing ancient Dash 8’s during the mining boom. They didn’t have the brains to foresee a likely mining downturn or levelling off, so suddenly the mining boom tanked they were left with old buckets for planes with not enough utilisation. The slippery Wilds blamed their demise on REX winning government contracts but that is a load of BS and the blame lays at their own incompetent feet. They got greedy and had a posse of wan#er executives running the place and running it poorly. A number of these tools have bounced between Skytrans, APNG, and Skytrans Mk2. They went bust and since 2013, which includes their partial resurrection by West Wing, they have had financial issues constantly, made people redundant, not secured contracts, had unreliable old clunker Dash 8’s and they’ve been through around 5 CEO’s. It’s a miracle that COVID hasn’t killed them off, again.

It was a once good airline. If I could turn the clock back somewhat I would be more than happy to fly for them again, pre the Wilds. However the shonky Wilds ruined a good airline but dreaming about becoming some kind of massive player in the aviation industry, and they broke the airlines back, but not before squirrelling many millions out the back door before she went bust.

[beached az]

Skytrans (the original) was a great regional airline when the Barnard’s owned it. Great people, great atmosphere and a great place to work. Once the Wild’s got their grubby hands on the airline, along with the then CEO Mr Siva, they kept growing the airline by purchasing ancient Dash 8’s during the mining boom. They didn’t have the brains to foresee a likely mining downturn or levelling off, so suddenly the mining boom tanked they were left with old buckets for planes with not enough utilisation. The slippery Wilds blamed their demise on REX winning government contracts but that is a load of BS and the blame lays at their own incompetent feet. They got greedy and had a posse of wan#er executives running the place and running it poorly. A number of these tools have bounced between Skytrans, APNG, and Skytrans Mk2. They went bust and since 2013, which includes their partial resurrection by West Wing, they have had financial issues constantly, made people redundant, not secured contracts, had unreliable old clunker Dash 8’s and they’ve been through around 5 CEO’s. It’s a miracle that COVID hasn’t killed them off, again.

It was a once good airline. If I could turn the clock back somewhat I would be more than happy to fly for them again, pre the Wilds. However the shonky Wilds ruined a good airline but dreaming about becoming some kind of massive player in the aviation industry, and they broke the airlines back, but not before squirrelling many millions out the back door before she went bust.

Careful Epicurus, posts telling the truth about "Wild Air" tend not to last long here for some reason.
The above is sadly all true :{ I don't know many of the players in TryTrans Mk3 these days and I do wish Mr Milne & Co all the best.

Being there at the time I remember clearly when all this began. The original Skytrans being a mainly C404 operator, was going through growing pains and needed extra capacity on the CNS - AUR service. Their solution was to cross hire a QRA Dash8 in their livery to service the run, a very nice paint job it was too :)
The "Not So Wilds" headed up by Thick Minee in those days made their move and took over Skytrans, later re branding (IPA/QRA) to Skytrans as they had a far better reputation. First time in history that I can recall where a regional airline has rebranded in the name of a piston operator, such was (still is) the reputation of the Barnard's.

As for massive player delusions, not wrong. At one time the "plan" was to merge QRA with APNG to create some sort of North Queensland / Melanesian super carrier all the while tooled with same ex Sunnies old hundy series clunkers. What could possibly go wrong. :D

BAz :ok:

[minigundiplomat]

Word on the street is Skytrans have made some operations staff redundant, citing cash flow issues. I wonder if they will still go ahead with their CS-PN-RK service?

Whats the go with the cashflow issues? 90% of the traffic is cairns based pax travelling to and from CY and the straits. The lockdowns in SYD and MEL should have minimal impact on their mainly monopoly routes. Something doesn’t smell right.

[Epicurus]

Whats the go with the cashflow issues? 90% of the traffic is cairns based pax travelling to and from CY and the straits. The lockdowns in SYD and MEL should have minimal impact on their mainly monopoly routes. Something doesn’t smell right.
Well the original Skydung went bust under the management of the Wild family at a time when they had money-for-jam subsidised flights and FIFO mining contracts. Yet they still went to the wall. Perhaps similar bad practises are at play once again? You don’t churn through 5 CEO’s and a revolving door of senior managers if everything is just fine.As has been mentioned, the Barnards ran a modest, profitable and reputable airline. From the day they sold the business it has been a dysfunctional steaming heap. Years of turd polishing has resulted in….well….a steaming turd.

[CAVOK92]

I think you’re right… polished turds/unprofitable business model. The latest addition to their fleet is now in storage at Mareeba after half a dozen revenue sectors… don’t want to pay the lease fees?

[Duck Pilot]

Maybe ANG and PNG Air could support them with a few Dash 8s including the ex Austrian Q400, together with a few Fokkers to compete with the competition.

[minigundiplomat]

Maybe ANG and PNG Air could support them with a few Dash 8s including the ex Austrian Q400, together with a few Fokkers to compete with the competition.

what competition? That’s my point, they have uncontested routes unaffected by COVID and they are still losing money.

[Kagamuga]

The new CEO, Allan, is former QF engineer? If so he better dust of his LAME ticket and get his hands dirty

Dash 8-100 QQC had undercarriage problems on the new service linking Cairns to Proserpine on Tuesday last and apparently made an unscheduled stop at Rockhampton ?

[CAVOK92]

The service runs CNS-PPP-ROK-PPP-CNS. Very unfortunate start to the service with the first run arriving back in CNS 1 1/2 hours late and then today’s episode.

[Epicurus]

The service runs CNS-PPP-ROK-PPP-CNS. Very unfortunate start to the service with the first run arriving back in CNS 1 1/2 hours late and then today’s episode.
Unfortunate? More like ‘not surprising’. They operate 35 year old clunkers that belong on a scrap heap rather than in the air.

[CAVOK92]

Unfortunate? More like ‘not surprising’. They operate 35 year old clunkers that belong on a scrap heap rather than in the air.
:). Was trying to be diplomatic. Landing gear seems to be a very common issue in the old buckets.

[CAVOK92]

Skytrans have temporarily suspended c208 operations into Darnley, Murray and Mabuiag island. Word on the street is they don’t have the required approval under Part 135 for short field operations.

[Maddogyamaddog]

That was a 2nd of December reg. And they still haven’t got it?

[PoppaJo]

When are the new Dash -300s coming? I see they have been advertising (again) for Dash drivers.

[TBM-Legend]

So what happened to Mr Rugby and Collings?

[Maddogyamaddog]

When are the new Dash -300s coming? I see they have been advertising (again) for Dash drivers.
I heard 2 weeks they land in aus. Apparently Hinterland Aviation have had short landing approvals for the Murray, Darnley and Mabuiag Island for months and they don’t even operate there. Makes you wonder about the management at Skytrans. Nearly a year since the new regs and running RPT services without the required approvals!

[CAVOK92]

Hinterland are a slick operation that are know for operating to a very heigh standard. Skytrans couldn’t organise a r@&t in a brothel let alone get you there on time. Hence the reason Hinterland manage to be competitive using a C208 on the same routes serviced by their dash8’s.

[PoppaJo]

Skytrans also need to do something with the Dash feet. All of them will be celebrating 40th birthdays soon.

Hinterland should really scale up and look into a Dash operation. Would leave the other guys for dead. They are certainly capable of bigger things.

[CAVOK92]

Skytrans also need to do something with the Dash feet. All of them will be celebrating 40th birthdays soon.

Hinterland should really scale up and look into a Dash operation. Would leave the other guys for dead. They are certainly capable of bigger things.

To be operating the worlds oldest Dash8 fleet is quite a feat. I’m surprised they don’t advertise it on their website 😂

[cabzjet]

Hinterland gives them a run for their money on Kowanyama and pormporaaw, and knocked them out of cooktown using a Van! No point taking the risk getting a 40 year old Dash. Although I did hear that hinterland were looking into some new ATR42’s for One of the mining contracts.

[PoppaJo]

Please tell me these ‘new’ -300s are at least 90s builds?

[CAVOK92]

I wonder if a -300 is going to be of any use. Doesn’t a -300 need security screening on scheduled services.
Is it likely to take any more payload out of the Bravus mining strip. I heard they were down to 700kg payload on the -100 in the middle of summer.

[Mumbai Merlin]

Dash 8-300 serial number 202, registered VH-QQN on the 16th Nov 2022

[sleeve of wizard]

Dash 8-300 serial number 202, registered VH-QQN on the 16th Nov 2022
VH-QQN is operated by Maroomba in Perth.

[Flingwing47]

Cairns to Proserpine with a stop in Rockhampton?.

[TeaCup]

Cairns to Proserpine with a stop in Rockhampton?.
Wy would you want to do that ?