It's fact effective today.....! seems short notice.?:uhoh:

Are we sure the new airport is LGG ?
I see no evidence ...

EDIT : I've found this:
OAGCargo.com - The leading information portal for the cargo industry

I'm very surprised that we had no official communication from Liège airport, they usually are proud to announce things like that.

LGG is also trying to attract Thai cargo which need a good african net from the european base.

Are we sure the new airport is LGG ?
 

I would say so, they have issued an announcement to all of their customers that all ops moved to Liege "with effect 8th September". Seems a slightly hasty departure from Vatry:hmm:.

Vatry Monday, Liege Tuesday, very strange ! For such a quick change of base to happen and only notifying your customers on the day it happens does not sound like a coordinated move in my opinion. Vatry Airport can kiss goodbye to any oustanding funds due to them.:ugh:

it's now official
Avient Newsroom

Hmmm, makes you wonder how many of the bills in the local area will be settled.

Hotels, rentals etc

As for most of the staff at Avient - Vatry - good riddance, many were very rude and unhelpful, especially Fat Pat.

Any idea of the trafic Avient was generating in Vatry ?
They say Avient was doing 70% of Vatry tonnage: 40.000 tons/year

(I'm so surprised that Vatry was so small in fact, nothing to compare to LGG, now it'll be even smaller, sad for them though)

I have been assured that Avient will honour all its outstanding debts in Vatry,
 

Fine words Penge Flyer - but let's see if that is the way it really happens, it has all the hallmarks of a hasty retreat in my book, and historically that means Trouble...

Official communication from Liège airport :
http://www.liegeairport.com/document...uropeanhub.pdf

The belgian press is saying that avient has a debt of 1 million euro in Vatry.

what Belgian press??

RTBF radio

The magnitude of the alleged debt would not surprise me - all the assurances in the world are only any good when backed up by action.

All will become apparent. It's unlikely they'll be operating 3 DC10s out of Liege if what I've heard is correct.

>It's unlikely they'll be operating 3 DC10s out of Liege if what I've heard is correct.

What do you mean ?
They are talking about 6 flights/week, which is not that much ...

Well i don't think they will be having 3 x dc.10's, as i understand that they now only have 2 left flying around since that lost the BGW contract. well their move to LGG may mean that they receive some SAFA inspections which is not before time , as they always seemed to miss these at vatry, something to do with the French protection of employment in that region of france, perhaps the inspectors that were always found in the bushes in AMS waiting to pounce on previous African carriers can take a road trip to spend some time at LGG, that could put a spanner in the works of Avient's flying operations you best start cleaning your hydraulics Mr Smith, these inspectors pop up at odd times, and you don't want to get grounded in Europe too many times.

Wonder what has become of the sister's French husband who is/was the manager of Vatry airport.

Did the guy retire, was he transferred to Liege, is he through family ties and obligations co-responsible for the bills that were allowed to be run up at Vatry?

If the figures mentioned for outstanding XCR costs are correct, no wonder Avient could fly and compete at the price and level they were.

Still want to know how the ex-DAS aircraft with Uganda registrations that were no longer acceptable into the EU, can freely and unhindered fly into the EU with dubious Zimbabwe registrations.

Fogrunner,

Not 100% correct. FedEx have just introduced another MD-11 airframe (572) into service with another (573) currently in SIN and about to follow. Both ex TAM.:ok:

(off topic sorry)

It is obvious the Liege Management could not do any press-release before the flights were effective.

This all has to do with the way they would have got Cargo B airlines from Brussels into Liege and suddenly found Cargo B not to operate anymore due to its debts and its bankers refusal to continue.

Since July , Liege airport has become more careful with the press releases, which is safer and avoids not to be taken seriously.

For Vatry, this move is simply desastrous and will hit this airport heavily.

But in aviation nothing is sure anymore.

well lets hope that the airport accs dept at lgg are a lot tighter than they were at vatry, or we shall see some snow plough's chained round the wheel's quite soon into their operation from LGG...:D

Still want to know how the ex-DAS aircraft with Uganda registrations....
 

Point well made AAL, and also what about the rules on principal place of business for foreign AOC holders?

@africa man "you don't want to get grounded in Europe too many times"

Not sure whether Avient generally needs to be afraid of SAFA inspectors. I have witnessed a ramp inspecton of Z-AVT by german LBA with no findings.

Relocation of European Hub
 

If Avient owe a large sum to Vatry airport it would explain their overnight departure and relocation to Liege. Can't see it being very long before those owed get a lien placed onto aircraft somewhere in Europe....?:ok:

All things being equal, all the questions asked, dubious history and activities, allegations and circumstances - perhaps we have Europe's own version of the original Flying Tigers of yore.

Untouchable and a different set of rules?

Vatry accusations
 

Vatry's views and Avient response on Air Cargo News website..
Air Cargo News :: The World's Best Read Air Cargo Newspaper

In my personal experience, I would think that the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Relations were not good for a long time, but the assertion was (when I was last in the know) Vatry were owed substantial amounts for all sorts of services.

I will be pleasantly shocked if all the bills are paid. My opinion is, I don't believe it.

As for "honourable", I think that perhaps Mr. Smith and I would have different definitions as to what that actually means. I saw no evidence of that when I met him from time to time. He's, quite frankly, quite an unpleasant individual.

Oh please, can we not use the words 'honourable' and 'Smith' in the same discussion. It's just too much to bear.
I wonder how many of his customers will continue to provide cargo knowing full well that it may end up being impounded in the middle of a legal spat between Avient and Vatry. The last thing they would want is their cargo sitting on an aircraft which has a lien taped to it.
Smith seems to be pushing his luck if he is counter claiming against Vatry for 'sub-standard service' and lost cargo etc (according to his comment in ACN) He did after all employ his own staff to oversee the wharehouse operation in XCR!:=

Andrew Smith and his Zimbabwean cohort Lewis Kling are honourable people indeed, sure Mugabe strongman Air Marshall Perence Shiri and the other Zimbabwean Generals will give them a glowing testimonial, - but not help to pay the outstanding bills.

Wonder if Andy's spat with the Vatry Airport Authority is now going to cause bad blood in the family, surely if he had a problem with services and standards at Vatry, the brother in law (Vatry Airport Manager) could easily have resolved.

The wheel might turn slowly Mr Smith but it turns and all good things come to pass.

Its time to account now. Liege please know what you are letting yourselves in for!

Avient 'incident'
 

heard that Avient had an 'incident' in LGG during pushback Sunday, aircraft is now AOG and schedules are all over the place, now down to one DC10 flying.

now down to one DC10 flying
 

Heard it may have been one of their own engineers driving a cherry-picker under the wing and clouted it! If that is true, someone will definitely be sent down the salt mines in Zim!
There is also word that the lack of aircraft availability may be caused by a piece of ground equipment parked behind one of the fleet (maybe at the behest of Vatry....?) - surely that couldn't be true :E

Mrs S will be doing her nuts!
I wonder if the Mx chappy had a work permit to let him live and work in Belgium? I gather from the people in Vatry that a lot of the Mx staff were recruited in Africa, The frenchies turned a blind eye to it, would the Belgium Authoritys be so forgiving? :=

Mx staff were recruited in Africa,
 

Surely the French didn't turn a blind eye to illegal immigrants, quelle horreur!!!!

Avient moved.
 

Avient have moved to a base in Belgium I have been told. And yes they are still around as I saw them doing Sim last week-end.10th.

"Avient have moved to a base in Belgium, I have been told".

I wonder if you could do some research and tell us which base in Belgium they have moved to?

As a suggestion, you could start with Post #37 on Page 2 of this very thread.

Please report back when you have the answer.

you guys have issues :) lol

Some pics of the avient bird(s) (check the background too) in LGG

MST-Aviation.nl - Euregional Aviation Portal

Not sure I see the relevance of these pics, was there an incident, and was it photographed, or was it all just an ugly rumour....

not completely sure ...
I heard more people talking about it, and it seems that there is indeed one DC10 parked in LGG for days (that you can see on the pics)

And one in KHI Karachi. Parkt on the PIA Maint Ramp:D

The AC left LGG monday morning.

Source : A380thebigbeast from mst-aviation.nl

Flying Tigers comparison
 

To mention Avient in the same breath as Flying Tigers is the most laughable comment I have seen on PPrune. Suspect AAL must suffer from an extended lack of oxygen at 38,000 feet.