The true-blue beginning of Virgin Blue
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The true-blue beginning of Virgin Blue
Tues "Australian Financial Review"
The true-blue beginning of Virgin Blue
Oct 27
Katrina Nicholas
Waiting for Virgin Blue chief executive Brett Godfrey to disembark from a domestic flight last week, his arrival party began to worry.
All but the last stragglers had come down the exit ramp, but still there was no sign of Godfrey. Perhaps he'd missed the flight, one waiting executive wondered. An airport staffer was sent to check but returned within minutes.
No, Godfrey had made the flight but was just helping attendants vacuum the aisles, remove the discarded drink cups and recross the seatbelts to ensure a faster turnaround time.
Surprising behaviour from an airline boss? Not at all, according to those who know the man who's set to become a multimillionaire when Virgin Blue floats.
Although it's a little-known fact, Godfrey, and not flamboyant British entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson, is Virgin Blue's founding shareholder. While Branson and Patrick boss Chris Corrigan now own the bulk of the budget airline, Godfrey, along with a small handful of original Virgin Blue employees, holds 4 per cent of the company via CU Nominees.
If Virgin Blue is valued at between $1.4 billion and $2 billion when it floats, as market watchers expect, that means Godfrey, the chartered accountant who hatched the idea for a no-frills Australian carrier back in 1993 - six years before it eventually became a reality - is set to become a very rich man, worth a cool $80 million at the outside.
But growing Virgin Blue to the point where it commands 30 per cent of Australia's domestic market has been a long and difficult journey, as some of the airline's key management team related to The Australian Financial Review this week.
With a father who worked for Qantas, Godfrey, who is described by his peers as charismatic but a total workaholic, was always interested in planes and aviation. In fact, it was long time friend and fellow Virgin Blue founder Rob Sherrard who gave Godfrey his first job as an accountant at Sherrard Aviation.
After working with the company for several years, Godfrey decided to expand his horizons overseas. He landed in London and soon scored a job in the finance department of Virgin Atlantic.
But the dream of one day running his own airline always niggled and so, when Sherrard came to visit him in the UK - the pair were going to the 1993 Ashes Test together - Godfrey put the idea to him, literally mapping out the key points on the back of a beer coaster as they drank together at a London pub.
Sherrard was interested, but circumspect. Compass in Australia has just fallen over and starting an airline would require significant capital.
Unperturbed, Godfrey began presenting the business plan to various executives, although not Branson, at Virgin Atlantic. None of them bit.
Three years later, in 1996, Branson's empire bought into Euro Belgian Airlines, which later became known as Virgin Express. Branson asked then Virgin Atlantic finance director Nigel Primrose who might be a suitable candidate to go across to Brussels and look after Virgin's interests. Primrose suggested Godfrey.
Godfrey accepted but soon found himself working for an airline shackled by unions and marred by industrial disputes. Whether it was Godfrey's disposition or the fact that Australians tend to be more culturally sensitive than their American counterparts abroad, Godfrey's superiors being from the US, Godfrey successfully managed to quell union disquiet at Virgin Express, an achievement that prompted Branson to ask whether he wanted to, temporarily, take the top job.
Again, Godfrey accepted, but on two conditions - he could return to his home country shortly and Branson would take a quick look at a business plan he'd once nutted out for a low-cost Australian airline.
Godfrey presented his 50-page Powerpoint business plan to Branson that Friday. By Monday there was a handshake agreement and on Tuesday Godfrey called Sherrard from Belgium to ask whether he wanted to start an airline.
As Branson remembers: "Ever since the early 1990s when Virgin Atlantic began its expansion I had always harboured a desire to expand our aviation interests into Australia . . . and I was always looking for the right opportunity to jump in. We had several approaches about doing this but none even came close to the inspiration of Brett and Rob's proposal, which I later found out that they had hatched together as early as 1994.
"When Brett said he was thinking of going back to Australia, I asked him what he wanted to do and he said 'Funny you should mention that' and then proceeded to tell me about the business plan. I was prepared to invest and to put our team at Virgin behind it but there is no doubt that Rob and Brett, as well as the rest of the launch team, some who followed Brett halfway across the world to settle in Brisbane, have created the success story.
"It was a Friday afternoon and he had a copy delivered to my house that evening. I read it and immediately called him. We spent two hours on the phone, both excited at the prospects and the opportunity. Brett had some 'skin in the game', but he needed a lot more. In the airline industry you need deep pockets and access to significant capital resources so that you don't suffer the burn-off that crippled Compass. By the end of that conversation, I'd agreed that Virgin would put up nearly $US10 million ($14.3 million) additional capital."
Although having Branson as a backer was clearly fortuitous - "it was the perception that there was a lot more behind us that was really important at that early stage" one executive said - one of the most difficult things Sherrard, charged with organising everything back on the ground in Australia, faced was not letting on to the aviation public who was behind the planned airline.
"We just said we had overseas backers and in fact it wasn't until the launch of Virgin Blue at Customs House in Sydney that Sunday in November 1999 that Richard was unveiled as the main investor," Virgin Blue communications head and third founding employee David Huttner said.
============================================
Tues "Sydney Morning Herald"
The accountant who turned a few pints into $78m
By Peter Munro and Colin Kruger
November 11, 2003
An idea that started life as scribblings on the back of beer coasters in a London pub is expected to deliver a $78 million pay-off to Virgin Blue chief executive Brett Godfrey.
The Sans Souci-born Mr Godfrey will receive 34.75 million shares, worth up to $2.25 each, after the budget airline yesterday announced its intention to float on the stock market next month.
The 40-year-old former accountant hatched his plan for what is now Australia's second national carrier while drinking pints with his fellow Virgin Blue founder, Rob Sherrard, in a West London pub during the 1993 Ashes Test series. At the time, Mr Godfrey was a junior finance manager at Virgin Atlantic.
"We had a few beers and as the night wore on I got bolder and bolder about the concept," Mr Godfrey told the Herald last night. "I honestly felt there was a bad deal for Australians and I just thought we could do it a bit better than the classic airline duopoly. I woke up with a bit of a hangover the next morning, but with a steeled reserve to knock up a business plan."
In two weeks Mr Godfrey had "knocked up half a dozen beer coasters of thoughts and concepts" into a business plan.
This grand plan, however, was knocked back by Virgin Atlantic. And a year later, he was turned away by two commercial banks, which he will not name for fear of embarrassing them.
"I thought Bug*ger it, and gave it another go. I thought it could work but the banks looked at me and said forget it. It's funny because they'd probably be interested in owning shares today."
Then in 1999, while working in Belgium as Virgin Express's chief financial officer, Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson asked if he had any investment ideas for the Australian market.
"My exact words were, 'Funny you should say that,' " Mr Godfrey said. "I dusted off my business plan, tarted it up a bit and got one staff member to fly across to Oxford and hand-deliver it to Richard at 5pm. He called me at seven in the evening and we talked about it until nine or 10 o'clock. He was as excited as a kid in a lolly shop."
Mr Godfrey's shares are a thank-you for turning Sir Richard's initial investment of $12 million into an airline with a market value that could exceed $2 billion. Virgin Blue has carved out what it estimates to be 28 per cent of the Australian aviation market and plans to take more.
"We will continue to chase them [Qantas] around the track," Mr Godfrey said at yesterday's press conference to announce Virgin Blue's listing on the stock market on December 10.
Now mum and dad investors will be able to buy in on the action with up to $558 million worth of shares being offered to the public when Virgin Blue's retail offer opens next Monday. Shares are expected to be priced from $1.80 to $2.25.
Most of Virgin Blue's 2780 employees are also expected to emerge as stockholders in the budget airline. The share plan includes eligible employees receiving $1000 worth of shares as a tax-free gift.
==========================================
The true-blue beginning of Virgin Blue
Oct 27
Katrina Nicholas
Waiting for Virgin Blue chief executive Brett Godfrey to disembark from a domestic flight last week, his arrival party began to worry.
All but the last stragglers had come down the exit ramp, but still there was no sign of Godfrey. Perhaps he'd missed the flight, one waiting executive wondered. An airport staffer was sent to check but returned within minutes.
No, Godfrey had made the flight but was just helping attendants vacuum the aisles, remove the discarded drink cups and recross the seatbelts to ensure a faster turnaround time.
Surprising behaviour from an airline boss? Not at all, according to those who know the man who's set to become a multimillionaire when Virgin Blue floats.
Although it's a little-known fact, Godfrey, and not flamboyant British entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson, is Virgin Blue's founding shareholder. While Branson and Patrick boss Chris Corrigan now own the bulk of the budget airline, Godfrey, along with a small handful of original Virgin Blue employees, holds 4 per cent of the company via CU Nominees.
If Virgin Blue is valued at between $1.4 billion and $2 billion when it floats, as market watchers expect, that means Godfrey, the chartered accountant who hatched the idea for a no-frills Australian carrier back in 1993 - six years before it eventually became a reality - is set to become a very rich man, worth a cool $80 million at the outside.
But growing Virgin Blue to the point where it commands 30 per cent of Australia's domestic market has been a long and difficult journey, as some of the airline's key management team related to The Australian Financial Review this week.
With a father who worked for Qantas, Godfrey, who is described by his peers as charismatic but a total workaholic, was always interested in planes and aviation. In fact, it was long time friend and fellow Virgin Blue founder Rob Sherrard who gave Godfrey his first job as an accountant at Sherrard Aviation.
After working with the company for several years, Godfrey decided to expand his horizons overseas. He landed in London and soon scored a job in the finance department of Virgin Atlantic.
But the dream of one day running his own airline always niggled and so, when Sherrard came to visit him in the UK - the pair were going to the 1993 Ashes Test together - Godfrey put the idea to him, literally mapping out the key points on the back of a beer coaster as they drank together at a London pub.
Sherrard was interested, but circumspect. Compass in Australia has just fallen over and starting an airline would require significant capital.
Unperturbed, Godfrey began presenting the business plan to various executives, although not Branson, at Virgin Atlantic. None of them bit.
Three years later, in 1996, Branson's empire bought into Euro Belgian Airlines, which later became known as Virgin Express. Branson asked then Virgin Atlantic finance director Nigel Primrose who might be a suitable candidate to go across to Brussels and look after Virgin's interests. Primrose suggested Godfrey.
Godfrey accepted but soon found himself working for an airline shackled by unions and marred by industrial disputes. Whether it was Godfrey's disposition or the fact that Australians tend to be more culturally sensitive than their American counterparts abroad, Godfrey's superiors being from the US, Godfrey successfully managed to quell union disquiet at Virgin Express, an achievement that prompted Branson to ask whether he wanted to, temporarily, take the top job.
Again, Godfrey accepted, but on two conditions - he could return to his home country shortly and Branson would take a quick look at a business plan he'd once nutted out for a low-cost Australian airline.
Godfrey presented his 50-page Powerpoint business plan to Branson that Friday. By Monday there was a handshake agreement and on Tuesday Godfrey called Sherrard from Belgium to ask whether he wanted to start an airline.
As Branson remembers: "Ever since the early 1990s when Virgin Atlantic began its expansion I had always harboured a desire to expand our aviation interests into Australia . . . and I was always looking for the right opportunity to jump in. We had several approaches about doing this but none even came close to the inspiration of Brett and Rob's proposal, which I later found out that they had hatched together as early as 1994.
"When Brett said he was thinking of going back to Australia, I asked him what he wanted to do and he said 'Funny you should mention that' and then proceeded to tell me about the business plan. I was prepared to invest and to put our team at Virgin behind it but there is no doubt that Rob and Brett, as well as the rest of the launch team, some who followed Brett halfway across the world to settle in Brisbane, have created the success story.
"It was a Friday afternoon and he had a copy delivered to my house that evening. I read it and immediately called him. We spent two hours on the phone, both excited at the prospects and the opportunity. Brett had some 'skin in the game', but he needed a lot more. In the airline industry you need deep pockets and access to significant capital resources so that you don't suffer the burn-off that crippled Compass. By the end of that conversation, I'd agreed that Virgin would put up nearly $US10 million ($14.3 million) additional capital."
Although having Branson as a backer was clearly fortuitous - "it was the perception that there was a lot more behind us that was really important at that early stage" one executive said - one of the most difficult things Sherrard, charged with organising everything back on the ground in Australia, faced was not letting on to the aviation public who was behind the planned airline.
"We just said we had overseas backers and in fact it wasn't until the launch of Virgin Blue at Customs House in Sydney that Sunday in November 1999 that Richard was unveiled as the main investor," Virgin Blue communications head and third founding employee David Huttner said.
============================================
Tues "Sydney Morning Herald"
The accountant who turned a few pints into $78m
By Peter Munro and Colin Kruger
November 11, 2003
An idea that started life as scribblings on the back of beer coasters in a London pub is expected to deliver a $78 million pay-off to Virgin Blue chief executive Brett Godfrey.
The Sans Souci-born Mr Godfrey will receive 34.75 million shares, worth up to $2.25 each, after the budget airline yesterday announced its intention to float on the stock market next month.
The 40-year-old former accountant hatched his plan for what is now Australia's second national carrier while drinking pints with his fellow Virgin Blue founder, Rob Sherrard, in a West London pub during the 1993 Ashes Test series. At the time, Mr Godfrey was a junior finance manager at Virgin Atlantic.
"We had a few beers and as the night wore on I got bolder and bolder about the concept," Mr Godfrey told the Herald last night. "I honestly felt there was a bad deal for Australians and I just thought we could do it a bit better than the classic airline duopoly. I woke up with a bit of a hangover the next morning, but with a steeled reserve to knock up a business plan."
In two weeks Mr Godfrey had "knocked up half a dozen beer coasters of thoughts and concepts" into a business plan.
This grand plan, however, was knocked back by Virgin Atlantic. And a year later, he was turned away by two commercial banks, which he will not name for fear of embarrassing them.
"I thought Bug*ger it, and gave it another go. I thought it could work but the banks looked at me and said forget it. It's funny because they'd probably be interested in owning shares today."
Then in 1999, while working in Belgium as Virgin Express's chief financial officer, Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson asked if he had any investment ideas for the Australian market.
"My exact words were, 'Funny you should say that,' " Mr Godfrey said. "I dusted off my business plan, tarted it up a bit and got one staff member to fly across to Oxford and hand-deliver it to Richard at 5pm. He called me at seven in the evening and we talked about it until nine or 10 o'clock. He was as excited as a kid in a lolly shop."
Mr Godfrey's shares are a thank-you for turning Sir Richard's initial investment of $12 million into an airline with a market value that could exceed $2 billion. Virgin Blue has carved out what it estimates to be 28 per cent of the Australian aviation market and plans to take more.
"We will continue to chase them [Qantas] around the track," Mr Godfrey said at yesterday's press conference to announce Virgin Blue's listing on the stock market on December 10.
Now mum and dad investors will be able to buy in on the action with up to $558 million worth of shares being offered to the public when Virgin Blue's retail offer opens next Monday. Shares are expected to be priced from $1.80 to $2.25.
Most of Virgin Blue's 2780 employees are also expected to emerge as stockholders in the budget airline. The share plan includes eligible employees receiving $1000 worth of shares as a tax-free gift.
==========================================
Last edited by Wirraway; 11th Nov 2003 at 00:52.
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So the truth finally comes out.
Whilst I agree that Godfrey derserves a reward for his efforts, what of the staff at Virgin Blue, $1000?
This perhaps better than anything else is the ultimate manifestation of the management culture in many LCC around the world, Southwest excluded.
Whilst management pick up typical executive salaries and huge bonuses, staff are paid far less than their 'full service' couterparts and expected to be content with what scraps are thrown at them.
Now the airline is going public there will be increased pressure on costs, particularly given that now a more public reporting system must be established.
With all this combined with the export of new jobs to an even cheaper version of the company in NZ it is little wonder that the troops are getting restless.
I guess the new ethos for LCC staff should be 'use them before they use you'.
Whilst I agree that Godfrey derserves a reward for his efforts, what of the staff at Virgin Blue, $1000?
This perhaps better than anything else is the ultimate manifestation of the management culture in many LCC around the world, Southwest excluded.
Whilst management pick up typical executive salaries and huge bonuses, staff are paid far less than their 'full service' couterparts and expected to be content with what scraps are thrown at them.
Now the airline is going public there will be increased pressure on costs, particularly given that now a more public reporting system must be established.
With all this combined with the export of new jobs to an even cheaper version of the company in NZ it is little wonder that the troops are getting restless.
I guess the new ethos for LCC staff should be 'use them before they use you'.
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Jeezuz, I think I am going to be violently ill.
There is one reason and one reason only that VB has 30% of the market....4 words......the demise of Ansett.( ok,ok, and the fact that QF are so bluddy arrogant )
To quote a wise old man " kissed on the dick by a fairy ", but hey, if you need to keep telling yourself how good you are BG................whatever helps you sleep.
Still, the poor old VB employees have something to look forward to now, Uncle Chris as the boss
There is one reason and one reason only that VB has 30% of the market....4 words......the demise of Ansett.( ok,ok, and the fact that QF are so bluddy arrogant )
To quote a wise old man " kissed on the dick by a fairy ", but hey, if you need to keep telling yourself how good you are BG................whatever helps you sleep.
Still, the poor old VB employees have something to look forward to now, Uncle Chris as the boss
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Two stories, two weeks apart and two different spins.
As for Sherrard lets hope the analysts don't look too hard. The prospectus is the best spin I've seen in a long time. They better go and look at what happened to Sherrard Aviation, National Airlines and his involvement in NJS. Lucky for him that the people that would know the truth are mostly out of the country.
As for Sherrard lets hope the analysts don't look too hard. The prospectus is the best spin I've seen in a long time. They better go and look at what happened to Sherrard Aviation, National Airlines and his involvement in NJS. Lucky for him that the people that would know the truth are mostly out of the country.
No cunninglinguist...Virgin was not successful because Ansett went down, it was the reason WHY Ansett went down. QF and AN for years charged the same fares even though QF had a lower cost base.
Along came Virgin with an even lower cost base, a recipe for success (like Southwest, Ryanair, Easy etc) and something had to give.
Virgin simply expedited AN's demise.
Along came Virgin with an even lower cost base, a recipe for success (like Southwest, Ryanair, Easy etc) and something had to give.
Virgin simply expedited AN's demise.
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Now I've heard everything, so VB bought ( or helped bring ) Ansett down in the few months that it was around ?
If Ansett had half the financial stability that QF has, then VB would not have close to 30%, because AN would have done what QF has done and matched most of the fares and retained alot of loyal customers.
You really should get a job on BGs team if you have'nt already, with that sort of dillusion your prime VB management material.
If Ansett had half the financial stability that QF has, then VB would not have close to 30%, because AN would have done what QF has done and matched most of the fares and retained alot of loyal customers.
You really should get a job on BGs team if you have'nt already, with that sort of dillusion your prime VB management material.
Al E. Vator If you honestly believe that VB caused the end of Ansett you are delusional. How many aircraft did VB have up until the Ansett collapse in Sept 2001 and how many passengers were they moving? Do the maths.
girls girls girls...VB was merely the straw which broke the camels' back.
Delusional??? AN matching QF?? Please....DO THE MATHS!!
Company A cannot match economies of Company B. Company A will make losses trying to do this. Along comes company C with even lower costs than A or B and something has to give. It did.
Do you think AN would have gone broke if Virgin hadn't entered the market? It didn't topple (just) when Compass was around and it stayed afloat for 10 more years. It wasn't until Virgin upset the comfy applecart that the weakest link snapped.
PS: Never have and never will work for Virgin, just watching the whole thing from an independent standpoint. Airlines in a deregulated market are no different to any other business. Crap management, undercapitalisation and inefficient work practices make the company susceptable to competition. I will say it again, Virgin is the very reason Ansett went down, but AN management only have themselves to blame for making the company so vulnerable, and all the poor employees are the ones who suffer.
Delusional??? AN matching QF?? Please....DO THE MATHS!!
Company A cannot match economies of Company B. Company A will make losses trying to do this. Along comes company C with even lower costs than A or B and something has to give. It did.
Do you think AN would have gone broke if Virgin hadn't entered the market? It didn't topple (just) when Compass was around and it stayed afloat for 10 more years. It wasn't until Virgin upset the comfy applecart that the weakest link snapped.
PS: Never have and never will work for Virgin, just watching the whole thing from an independent standpoint. Airlines in a deregulated market are no different to any other business. Crap management, undercapitalisation and inefficient work practices make the company susceptable to competition. I will say it again, Virgin is the very reason Ansett went down, but AN management only have themselves to blame for making the company so vulnerable, and all the poor employees are the ones who suffer.
Al I agree with all your other points but to answer your question I think Ansett would still have gone belly up but perhaps a little later. I believe the impetus or willingness of various parties, including the government to keep Ansett as a going concern evaporated when VB arrived.
In other words the pollies and others were probably justifiably frightened of an aviation vacuum post Ansett with QF the only player standing. Their constituents would not like the consequences. So once a promising new entrant was on the horizon support, moral, spiritual or financial also evaporated.
Your economic observations are correct.
As mentioned elsewhere....
LCC = Low Cost Carrier = Low Costs for the operator eg outsource everything!
In other words the pollies and others were probably justifiably frightened of an aviation vacuum post Ansett with QF the only player standing. Their constituents would not like the consequences. So once a promising new entrant was on the horizon support, moral, spiritual or financial also evaporated.
Your economic observations are correct.
As mentioned elsewhere....
LCC = Low Cost Carrier = Low Costs for the operator eg outsource everything!
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And lets not forget the CPs shares, the ones he got by screwing the workers down to rock bottomn salaries. He's the one who has the FOs cleaning aircraft onturnarounds to save money. He's the one who spearheaded the downward spiral for pilots' salarys and conditions in this country.
Lets not forget him and what he will be worth after the float. It's been suggested pretty reliabluy about 12 million $$$. And we get a pissy grand's worth of shares. You gotta be f....ing joking.
And I was told he was the one who when flying for Virgin in the UK had RB in the jumpseat and put the idea of a carrier in Oz. So who was responsible? If they all put their hands up, we'll fill the MCG. Isn't success an amazing thing? When success occurs everybody wants to say that they were the responsible ones.
Al your'e having yourself on if you believe that we put Ansett out of business. They were mismanaged iunto oblivion by airNZ and bloody politicians.
It doesn't get any simpler than that
Icarus outsourcing in itself doesn't save money. The contractor still ha to pay salaries, super, holiday pay etc but the way savings are made is that the contractor pays less than the unions would settle for in the airline, Same as crewing companies employing for airlines around the world.
Whatever happens it's the workers who get screwed.
Lets not forget him and what he will be worth after the float. It's been suggested pretty reliabluy about 12 million $$$. And we get a pissy grand's worth of shares. You gotta be f....ing joking.
And I was told he was the one who when flying for Virgin in the UK had RB in the jumpseat and put the idea of a carrier in Oz. So who was responsible? If they all put their hands up, we'll fill the MCG. Isn't success an amazing thing? When success occurs everybody wants to say that they were the responsible ones.
Al your'e having yourself on if you believe that we put Ansett out of business. They were mismanaged iunto oblivion by airNZ and bloody politicians.
It doesn't get any simpler than that
Icarus outsourcing in itself doesn't save money. The contractor still ha to pay salaries, super, holiday pay etc but the way savings are made is that the contractor pays less than the unions would settle for in the airline, Same as crewing companies employing for airlines around the world.
Whatever happens it's the workers who get screwed.
Last edited by VB_Capt; 13th Nov 2003 at 18:12.
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Politicians mismanaged Ansett in to the ground? - were there politicians on Ansett management team?????
I am afraid that nothing could have saved Ansett, and the event of not one but two low cost models simply made it happen sooner.
Speeking of miss-management, can someone please tell me where Mr. Toomey works now?
I am afraid that nothing could have saved Ansett, and the event of not one but two low cost models simply made it happen sooner.
Speeking of miss-management, can someone please tell me where Mr. Toomey works now?
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poullock, by blocking the sale of Ansett to SQ, for no reason other than SQ would have run QF out of business, they played a pivotal role in the demise of Ansett. I would still prefer to see Ansett in business and me working overseas ratherthan for this flyblown outfit.
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Ahh, Amos has emerged from the swamp to tip a bucket on someonew who doesnt agree with him...again.
I don't think you would have as big a problem flying behind me as I would flying behind yoiu and ome of your mates who were responsible f r keeping me out back in 89.
What you can't deny Amos is that one of the guys who was the backbone of the 30% claim sold out the pilots in this country for his own greedy ends. Back then it was 30% for nothing, not negotiavle, and now he has pilots working forpeanuts and cleaning to boot.
I think we was probably on the Abels payroll back then to keep everybody out as well so he probably has a history of selling out his colleagues.
I don't think you would have as big a problem flying behind me as I would flying behind yoiu and ome of your mates who were responsible f r keeping me out back in 89.
What you can't deny Amos is that one of the guys who was the backbone of the 30% claim sold out the pilots in this country for his own greedy ends. Back then it was 30% for nothing, not negotiavle, and now he has pilots working forpeanuts and cleaning to boot.
I think we was probably on the Abels payroll back then to keep everybody out as well so he probably has a history of selling out his colleagues.
