Strategic in the Age paper again today for 320s grounded in France. :cool:

For a Co so strongly mooted to be going under, it's interesting to see their add in today's Australian looking for a wide range of staff for planned expansion. :confused:

Ansett were still interviewing the week they went under...

Skyairworld had a pilot that had started 1 week prior to going into administration. And that was 2 weeks after they had sent all the 145 pilots packing.

What better way to send up a smokescreen than run a big advert for staff while plotting to dud all your creditors and existing staff? Not saying that this is Strategic's plan but it was Skyair's.

Todays article in The Age
 

Strategic Airlines' French arm frozen

Richard Baker

September 17, 2010
FRENCH authorities have refused to renew the operating certificate of the local arm of the company responsible for flying Australian troops to the Middle East.
This week's decision, by the Paris-based Directorate General of Civil Aviation, on Strategic Airlines' French charter business was based on recent incidents involving hydraulic problems, a cracked windshield, delays and cancellations, according to French reports.
The French action could raise perception problems for the airline group's Australian operations, which include a $30-million-a-year Defence Department contract to fly troops and equipment to Kuwait.

Strategic Airlines' French business involves two Airbus A-320 aircraft and is overseen by chief executive David Blake, who also heads its Australian operations.
Strategic Airlines has commercial passenger flights around Australia and yesterday announced a new service from Brisbane to Bali. These are performed under an Australian-issued air operation certificate.
Mr Blake yesterday said his company contested the French decision and was in talks with the aviation regulator.
''Strategic has not had one safety incident in Europe or Australia,'' he said.
''While Strategic Airlines' Australian and French businesses have a common CEO, they are separate and distinct operating entities and, as such, discussions taking place in Europe have no impact whatsoever on the Australian business.''
The Strategic group was at the centre of recent controversy when it emerged that two Defence officers, David Charlton and John Davies, involved in a 2005 Middle East troop flight tender process provided Strategic Aviation - Strategic Airlines' sister firm - with inside information and later assumed senior management roles at the company.
The Australian Federal Police is investigating whether criminal offences occurred in the awarding of the 2005 Defence tender to Strategic Aviation, which is contracted to perform the Middle East service until the end of next month, when an external review on the flight tender process will occur.
Asked about the French action on Strategic Airlines, opposition defence spokesman David Johnston yesterday said the safety and security of troops being deployed overseas was of the highest importance.
''The contract responsible for transporting our troops to the front line in Afghanistan has now become a total shambles and is quite frankly a national embarrassment,'' he said.

Just because you have plans and/or aspirations for world domination that does not mean they will come to fruition.

Just ask DJC :E

Some would argue there are some frightening similarities between the 2 entities.

They got a charter DRW/DRB or DCN relocating the asylum seekers who protested outside the Defence Establishment at Berrimah because their residency visa or whatever it was that allowed them to stay was knocked back.

Very stealth like of immigration as the A320 departed from the RAAF Base side of the airport so as to avoid the mandatory objections of the 'rent a crowd' and Dudley Doright types.

They've also done a charter or two ex DRW to Xmas Island for non residents.

Strange irony of the one company who takes both our troops to Afghanistan then also transports their citizens in our country.

re the standard tactic pushing positive communication etc

I spoke with one of their crew members a couple of days ago and apparently they are getting emails from the company all the time re what a great job they are do blah blah blah, and they never sent these emails before.

It shows they can be relied on to do charters correctly or they wouldn't be winning these charters.

I was on the charter they did with Air NZ a couple of years ago and the Operations Manager for Air NZ said he would never deal with Strategic again as is was a shambles. Perhaps they have got things together since then

Wow, must be mega comforting to read that....considering Blakey's involvement with the various Ozjet's operation's (IE: Mk 1, 2, (3?) and now 4-Strategic).

Smoking :ok:

Yes or it shows their aircraft arent doing anything else perhaps..??

Utilization
 

"Yes or it shows their aircraft arent doing anything else perhaps..??"

God forbid they have an aircraft available to do charters! They are still doing their RPT and they have an aircraft available to do charter work.
Look elsewhere on this thread and you will see that they have been doing a lot of Immigration and election related charter and they are opening up the Brisbane-Townsville-Denpasar route soon (subject to regulatory approval).
From what you are insinuating they shouldn't use their spare capacity prior to the new service to make a bit more revenue.
Sounds like you would work operations like an Army quartermaster " That's the last one I've got, can't give you that one, somebody else might want it"

FS and tourismman don't kid yourself. There is only one reason they are getting some immigration work and that is because they have aircraft doing nothing(e.g. available) while their competition is working and don't have the idle capacity. There aren't enough of these charters to survive with such a large workforce( a good proportion of whom are unproductive) once the ADF work dries up and the big government dollars stop coming in.Thanks to their leaders they have publicly soiled any good reputation they may have had and have lost the faith of those in the industry that may have supported them. Like others here I suspect they will play even dirtier games to try to postpone the inevitable but be assured it will be the workforce and crediters who will be shafted in the end and not the owners. SAW all over again !!!!!!!!!!

yes, but probably more than the $93 million that DC lost ......................

flying- spike
 

Thanks for your comments.
I think you are quite correct and yes it must be a good thing for Strategic to have so much capacity sitting around that they can operate numerous charters for everyone. Its good of them to offer this spare capacity before operating any RPT business. Especially as these aircraft were only brought in at the beginning of the year to launch flights in December.

I totally agree that operating lots of flights to Bali - infact by the end of October all flights will probably be going to Bali even on a spare A330. This is always a good idea to put all your plans on one route that isnt used by any other operator especially well established national carriers. As competition would not be good for a start up.
I also think its a good idea to critisice your only money making client by bashing them in the press even when your European sister company has been grounded for whatever reason by the local aviation authorities.

I especially like your use of brackets in your post.

and if you feel that I am 'insinuating' any sarcasm - you would be right:ok:

Tango 9
 

Clearly you don't know which aircraft were introduced when and to do what. You are also demonstrably incapable of reading a press release. I suggest you do a bit of research before jumping on the band wagon. Then you might be able to "Exersice" a little better judgement.

The plot thickens...


From: Defence Media Centre [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Tuesday, 21 September 2010 8:21 PM
Subject: Short-term tender sought for aviation contract

MSPA 449/10 Tuesday, 21 September, 2010


Defence is to seek short-term commercial arrangements in order to maintain the continuity of support to its airlift support requirements to the Middle East.

The short-term arrangements will remain focused on the delivery of safe aviation services to Defence people. Defence will use its standard processes for obtaining short-term services, and a number of companies will be approached today to ensure a value for money outcome.

Defence is continuing to finalise its longer-term contract arrangements for the delivery of aviation services to its Middle East operations and its personnel.