Troubled waters ahead for Avient ?
 

Hearing rumours on the grapevine that Avient are having finanical problems due to lack of cash and could be heading down the same way as MK in the near future....lots of rumble's in the jungle...

just heard MK start operations again later today
great news ,

Well it had to happen, Uncle BoB's funds are all tied up with the election and all.

I doubt that Smith has the loyalty and support from the industry that MK Airlines enjoy.

And there was that "interesting" 17 hr flight from Angola to Entebbe around the time that ship carrying arm's for Zim was there.

30 pieces of silver was the going rate.

Avient
 

Thrax is right - Avient don't have the support of the UK market because SS is disliked by most and knows nothing about this industry yet ponificates away. Their overseas GSAs have been treated poorly and will jump ship as soon as they find an alternative which may not be that far away.

Allied are nicer to deal with and look after their customers better which is why they get my business.

Avient
 

I think its fair to say nobody will be crying too many tears over a departure of AVIENT from the game :E

Freightened - I take it Allied are cheaper then.

Most people will accept a fair price but expect good service. Allied manage both, unfortunately those near Druid Head Office fail on both counts!

Freightened - SS disliked ? Surely not?

Avient
 

The Slice - No, Allied are not cheaper - just nicer to to business with and I'm fussy who I deal with.

Bob has it right - at least Stonehenge is just round the corner in case they need to make a sacrifice.

Hard to believe sp48hx isn't it?

There have been two SS's in British history - One brought misery to thousands through oversized ego eventually sinking without trace.... the other was a Steam Ship that hit an Iceberg. Perhaps there will be something in common.

I have to agree with an earlier comment, SS behaves like the SS, attitude to the customer sucks. Allied on the other hand are great people to do business with and we will stick with them.
With the present situation in Zim and the growing political situation, it won't be long before Gordon and Dubya start to impose a few sanctions. The cricket team looks as though they will be banned from travelling, 'Sir' Bob just got a slap down from HM, how long before someone takes a look at a Zim registered cargo airline operating through the back door into Europe and hiding in a little known field in France. The EU needs to wake up on this one.

With the decay and destruction of everything in Zimbabwe it is/must be reasonable to assume that the CAA Authority is also by now dysfunctional and cannot responsibly cary out its regulatory and oversight responsibilities.

Need also not be a wizzard to hazard a guess that the ZCAA is staffed by Mugabe cronies, like everywhere and things iin Zimbabwe, because after all its a small cash cow for the government.

This, together with the rumours of an official partnership (of convenience) between Avient and senior officers of the Zimbabwe National Defence Force, should be more than sufficient reason for the EU to seriously look at the morality and desirability of allowing the aircraft in question, and any Zimbawean registrations for that matter, into European airspace.

Avient's past acknowledgement of their support to and association with this evil regime should just make matters worse and compound the issue.

If Mozambique, Swaziland, DRC etc etc are banned by the EU, there are ample reasons by now to also ban the Zimbabwe register.

AAL, I couldn't agree with you more, but don't you find it just a little curious as to how they have managed to duck and dive for so long, and why no-one in Europe is prepared to ask the question as to why a Zimbabwe registered cargo airline with a highly questionable history, owned and run by an individual with a known background of support for the Mugabe regime, is still allowed to operate and be based within the EU? Why have the French Authorities turned a blind eye for so long on the operation in Vatry? One would have thought that Air France Cargo would have had something to say about it?

zfwmac, yes I have certainly given it some thought. I have also looked up (researched on the web) the debates in the British Parliament about the company and their role and activities in Zimbabwe and the DRC, observed the futile attempts by European rights groups to place these activities on the agenda, and noticed the observation of SS's presence at certain diplomatic cocktail parties in Harare, and can only come to the conclusion that perhaps it is not prudent to discuss his "protection" on a forum like this.

It is however mind blowing that DAS was banned from the EU (perhaps deservedly) but that Avient still continues to fly unhindered.

Please remember, Avient did not only "partner" the ZAF and the DRC Forces, but before had a long history of association with all kinds of nefarious parties and activities with such as International Air Services/Ducor World Airlines and their dubious activities also.

The more one thinks about this, the more astonishing that they continue to operate and fly freely into the EU, while others had to go and explain at The Hague.

Double standards I would say.

Avient
 

You can wipe the s--t of the wall but the smell still lingers - in this case it eminates from inside Druid Castle. Occasional rumours of people allegedly not being paid causing different routings of aircraft away from where dues are owed. However, the ego still feeds - saw a beaufiful new 40ft tractor trailer with Avient Logistics parked near RAF Lyneham the other day, curtains closed around the cab. Dodgy deal or driver resting?

Avient still have the highest fuel surcharge in the UK and always first to implement it. Its been a few days so no doubt another one on its way. Perhaps Boib can lend them his personal jet - it may be more fuel efficient?

Watching with interest the next few weeks

With their undisputed history and reputation how can they be flying for the MOD and at that with Z registrations in which Zimbabwe Generals have a partnership?

Those Zimbo Generals must be killing themselves laughing.

:mad::mad: !!!

MOD
 

Oh - I don't know AAL, the UK MOD and the yanks have used (and continue to use) Victor Bout's fleet when it suits them (or more likely in blind ignorance), so why not use a Zim carrier? I suspect there will be some severe sanctions imposed soon,let's see if Avient can continue to be Teflon-coated!

AAL,

You seem to hate most cargo carriers flying to Africa for one reason or other?

It is a shame a few take a rumour into holding a personally grudge. We now even have AAL standing on his soapbox preaching to the converted.

GargoOne, to answer you simply - as an African, yes I despise with revulsion and contempt anybody who was and has been involved pouring fuel on the fires of conflict in Africa. We have to live in this mess and our children have to grow up here.

Sure you would feel the same about African carriers who fly weapons and narcotics into Europe!!!!!!:ok:

No bone to pick with other decent foreign (European) carriers - work with many!

The Slice: Nothing I say, discuss, allege is a rumour - go read it up yourself; printed in bold for the world to see!

But for those who have helped destabilise our continent, I hope, pray and trust will still stand at The Hague and answer for their deeds and greed, just like Charles Taylor has to. Or is the war crimes tribunal at The Hague again just white man's justice aimed at all except Europeans?

UK MOD still uses that other murky (Farhad Azima) company CargoPlus Aviation, alias Air Charter Express (also likely in blind ignorance?) for its flights from Lyneham via Ostend to Basrah, just like the yanks have used Bouts' fleet etc... etc...

well yes i think it's time now that Air Zimbabwe are now being looked at, re having their flights being hit by sanctions, that they should also start looking at the other carrier ie avient as uncle bob and his cronies have their muddy fingers in that pie also. I think that so far the french have turned a blind eye as without avient at vatry the airport would i expect close as there is nothing else going on there in an already high un-employment area, but i see that avient have now lost their Air Gabon contract to Allied so i hear on the grapevine, so that will mean he will hve to work harder to get through to entebbe to pick up his fish and other sparklers, so i think that their days are numbered we shall see....you never know it might apply for a British AOC.......:=

Avient
 

The Slice - I have no grudge with this company - just the ethics (or lack of them) of the people who run it. And they have the cheek to call Africans unethical and dishonest.

AS is a very clever and cunning man. SS just hangs onto his belt and generally messes everything up.

If Africa Man is right about the Gabon contract (and not surprised, SS ensures Avient fall out with everyone eventually), what happens to Avient Gabon now? If the situation in Zimbabwe gets worse, I'd have thought Avient needed to transfer their aircraft to the Gabon register or somewhere else.

I bet a few frenchman are seething and where's Gabonese JC. Don't think its Allied doing the Gabon Airlines flying, someone closer to home.

Talking ethics, notwithstanding their record, the UNHCR and UN organs still insist to make use of them. A crying shame, first help destroy a place thereby creating a market for your services, then start flying relief for the UNHCR.

Double standards?

well in the uk cargo press it looks like ana have re-gained the gabon airlines account and will be flying 2x wkly ex ost to lbv with md.11 equipment..so where does that leave avient now and with also the gabon goverment not wanting any zim registered a/c in their country could be hard times for mr smith and co......:bored:

Ana is flying regularly ex ost to los with Gemini's md11, not to lbv yet. But MK does and Spanish Pronair as well with an old "air bakkie".

Hard times are ahead for all African airlines (with or without double standards), if we should believe the opinion of a Kampala journalist: African aviation on the abyss (Travel Video Television News).

Hard times are here already - for all airlines, not just African airlines. There is no magic cure, airlines must keep costs under control and look to the future. Those companies with solid management and a good business plan will survive, those that don't will fail. The question still remains as to whether there is an unfair advantage being gained by airlines such as Avient, operating Z- registered aircraft based in Europe?