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O'Connors to shut down?
Rumours posted on anothewr message board that an announcement is imminent regarding the closure of O'Connor Airlines...
Any truth to this? |
Didn't hear that they were about to shut down, but did hear a rumour that they will be pulling out of Whyalla very soon.
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It would be a shame, those private airlines are slowly dieing off which is a shame to see....
Was there C441 grounded bar the CASA groundings? |
They pay FOs about 35K PA. No wonder.
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No wonder what?
No wonder they are pulling out of WYA because they pay their FO's $35k? No wonder they are going out business because they pay their FO's $35k? On this basis they would stay in WYA if they paid them less, or stay in business if they paid them less. O'Connor Airlines has been around a long time more than you Beer Bong. Show some respect to someone who had the courage to commit to a turbine long before any other operator in South Australia. And show some respect for someone who has just had the best part of a lotto win flushed down the drain on legal nonsense. |
Could not agree with you more SKYSTAR320 without these small airlines none of us would be where we are today.Beer Bong you are an idiot, We start off with companies like Oconnors fully knowing that we will take all that we can just to go and fly the big stuff. How about a little thanks for the guys and girls who help us get to where we are.:{
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What a shame if this is not just a rumour. There would be many an airline pilot greatly thankful to this Company and its owner for the personal training they received in the Mount which paved the way for their advancement. Let's hope they hang in there.
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They pay FOs about 35K PA. No wonder. PS: Which website Apacau? Any chance of a PM? |
If this is true it is a VERY sad day for Oz aviation. I was just chatting to Leigh a few mths back..ok 6 mths...he was saying 1/2 the VB YMML base are his companies offspring...he was both proud and a little miffed at the same time. Leigh is one of the last gentlemen in the airline world...the last of a rare breed, the PRINCIPLED principle of a family started and owned regional airline with great training and high standards....the last classic regional airline in the same vien as Talair, Hazos etc.
I REALLY hope this is not true.:sad: |
This is the last thing you want to hear when you just brought a ticket on them. :{
I guess going via Mount Gambier might be a bad idea, especially as the final destination is Perth. Just another 6 weeks please. :) |
As far as I know this is untrue regarding shut down. Time will tell about WHA. Would be interested in that other website if you could pm me apacau
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Interesting that Rex makes an annoucement before anything official from O'Connors.
As for the other info - look to the YSSY message board. Rex Boosts Whyalla Flights Thursday, 30 August 2007 Regional Express, Rex, has scheduled additional flights between Adelaide and Whyalla in the wake of the withdrawal of O’Connor Airlines from the route. From Monday 10 September, Rex has scheduled more than 200 additional seats per week between Adelaide and Whyalla which will bring the weekly number of 34 seat Saab 340 flights to 68. “The additional services will operate on peak days with extra return services Monday mornings and Thursday and Friday afternoons. Overall this brings the total number of Rex seats offered on the route to over 120,000 per year,” Geoff Breust, Rex’s Managing Director said. “Last financial year 76,000 passengers travelled on the route with Rex carrying more than 85% of them in the most recent months. With over 120,000 seats now available there are plenty of Rex seats for current and foreseeable future demand levels.” “Nevertheless, we will monitor the situation closely over the coming months and where needed, Rex will operate further flights on the route.” “Rex’s response to the withdrawal of QantasLink on the Adelaide – Port Lincoln route in June last year was to add more flights and keep fares low and now significantly more passengers travel on the route than ever before. This is testimony to Rex’s base strategy of making fares affordable, providing more convenient schedule times and growing markets on all of our 35 routes across our network regardless of whether we have a competitor or not.” “Whyalla residents can have confidence that Rex will achieve a similar outcome for Whyalla as we have for Port Lincoln,” Mr Breust said. Rex is South Australia’s largest and Australia’s largest independent regional airline operating a fleet of 34 Saab 340 aircraft on 1,300 flights weekly to 25 destinations from Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. The Rex Group comprises Regional Express, air freight and charter operator Pel - Air Aviation and Dubbo based regional airline, Air Link. Reservations can be made on the web via www.rex.com.au and by telephoning 13 17 13. |
Thanks APACAU!:ok:
Is there anything that goes on in Adelaide that you don't know?;) |
This months Australian Aviation mentions that they have canned the Mt Gambier Melbourne route. Competition from REX being too strong - I am surprised they held out as long as they did.
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Competition from REX being too strong |
Is there anything that goes on in Adelaide that you don't know? |
O'Connors are not shutting down. As said, how do you possibly service all of the routes when part of the fleet has been 'retired' by Cessna and CASA? Something had to go. With regards to melbourne, Im sure if you look at the increase in Pax for Rex since O'Connors withdrew, its actually only very small. Not that many people travel ML-MTG anymore. Also the ML decision was not based solely on Pax numbers, again, an aircraft had been retired. It would be impossible to provide any kind of continuity of service over so many routes with so few aircraft, at the current schedules. Again, something had to go. I can assure you, returning to a fixed schedule for all routes has made a huge positive difference, and they will be around for a while yet.
With regards to FO pay beer bong, 35K is not correct. Agreed, they dont pay as much as some other airlines, but the experience gained is second to none. Sh*t weather, no A/p, and the worst factor of all, dealing with that other 'traffic' :} .They know that they are are stepping stone, and have no hesitation in helping one of their own move on to bigger and better things. Leigh and his family want all of their staff to succeed, and will do what they can to help. It pisses me off to hear and see Rex putting articles like this out, quoting passenger percentages and what not (its not the first one, believe me), getting on their high horse like they are gods gift to 'Australian' regional travel. What bull#$t. O'Connors will be around for a while yet, and its just as well. Australian aviation would only be poorer if they weren't. Many more guys and gals will get their first break there, they are a training ground for turbine and rpt ops, and a damn good one at that. |
Goodonyamate and others getting all misty eyed about O'connors, the hard cold fact is that the company with its GA mentality really doesn't have any vision for the future, and they are basically starting to go around in ever decreasing circles. I suspect that once they had the business at the largest size that one family could run it they didn't really pursue any further opportunities to expand (remember Rex has grown out of two operators that were once of a similar size to O'connors). This was fine for a long time but ultimately you become vulnerable when you are too small to be run 'professionally' but too big not to be in competition with larger companies. The fact that they haven't replaced retired/grounded aircraft means that they are either unable or unwilling to access debt to replace these aircraft. The company just doesn't have a critical mass anymore and finds itself boxed in by big bad Rex.
and a damn good one at that |
"remember Rex has grown out of two operators that were once of a similar size to O'connors"
And an almost neverending value of Singapore $. Oh, and throw in a few various Australian government subsidies/reliefs. With regards to your 'interesting' comparison with transair slice......I think you'll find O'Connors has a perfect safety record. So why the comparison??? When I was there I had the value of 6 different training captains. All were standardised, operated to the book, and had a wealth of other experience. I fail to see how the training aspect compares to Transair. |
Saw the press release from O'Connors today, last flight between Adelaide and Whyalla is on Sunday 9th September 2007.
Withdrawal of service caused by the new CASA requirements in regard to the Cessna Conquests. |
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