Why Gf Is Sinking
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Spirit,
It's because they know GF is a downright corrupt organization full of theifing greedy bast@rds
What scares me, is that all the topnotch leaders on the market, all tend to take a big step around Gulf Air. Why is this then?
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Yer but..Yer but..Yer..apart from that it is a really good airline!
GF lost most of its first class passengers in twelve months when some expert decided to blow his brains out and put brand new local male stewards fresh out of training school as the full team of first class cabin crew on their first flight....he then insisted on keeping them there and it amounted to sabotage.....BA even mentioned the dramatic increase in their first class revenue passengers (as a result of this) on the Gulf/LHR/Gulf routes in their annual shareholder report.
First class passengers of all nationalities like smartly uniformed pretty blonde girls with nice figures who do not drop the vegatables on the floor and then pick them up and put them back on the passengers plate in front of them.
GF blew first class and it never came back and sadly it served them right.
GF lost most of its first class passengers in twelve months when some expert decided to blow his brains out and put brand new local male stewards fresh out of training school as the full team of first class cabin crew on their first flight....he then insisted on keeping them there and it amounted to sabotage.....BA even mentioned the dramatic increase in their first class revenue passengers (as a result of this) on the Gulf/LHR/Gulf routes in their annual shareholder report.
First class passengers of all nationalities like smartly uniformed pretty blonde girls with nice figures who do not drop the vegatables on the floor and then pick them up and put them back on the passengers plate in front of them.
GF blew first class and it never came back and sadly it served them right.
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My country, my airline...
Expat and local managers both fall under the same umbrella, corruption is not a one man show but the collusion of several individuals; from crew control and the phone number of every girl when she is needed for "operations" to pilots choosing their own "checker" to head of inflight who manages to order at his will articles that are no longer needed, to various heads and managers aware of the stealing but choose not to act on it etc...
Unfortunately in the past 10 years the many good people have come to work did not stay due to the sheer scale of corruption.
As a result, we have lost them to our competitors, Pilots, crew, managers, service officers etc...and what they take with them is invaluable information on how not to do things. Mr. Clark at EK is a perfect example of this.
The sole unlucky recipient of X-GF staffers is EY, They have taken on what others would never touch with a ten foot pole
What Bahrain has going for itself is something it will never capitalise on in comparison to other Gulf countries and more important is the dilemna of the board after all these successive failures, how much can you trust any PCE and his team?
All I can say from reading these posts and living in Bahrain for over 11 years now is let us hope for the best, not sure we are going in the right direction any longer.
Unfortunately in the past 10 years the many good people have come to work did not stay due to the sheer scale of corruption.
As a result, we have lost them to our competitors, Pilots, crew, managers, service officers etc...and what they take with them is invaluable information on how not to do things. Mr. Clark at EK is a perfect example of this.
The sole unlucky recipient of X-GF staffers is EY, They have taken on what others would never touch with a ten foot pole
What Bahrain has going for itself is something it will never capitalise on in comparison to other Gulf countries and more important is the dilemna of the board after all these successive failures, how much can you trust any PCE and his team?
All I can say from reading these posts and living in Bahrain for over 11 years now is let us hope for the best, not sure we are going in the right direction any longer.
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WHAT WHAT AND WHAT HOPE FOR THE BEST?????????????????????? WHAT A JOKE .. NOT AND NEVER WILL TRY BE A SMART ARSE. GF IS ON A SPIRRAL DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVVVVVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEEE, THOSE GOOOOOD TIMES WILL NEVER COME BACK ,NOW , SOON AND NEVER, THEY FU
CED THE COMPANY BIG TIME. GF WILL ONLY BE A REGIONAL AIRLINE AND ENVENTUALLY LOW COST AIRLINE,LETS AGREE ON THAT ONE. IF YOU ARE IN GF THINK HARD AGAIN AND AGAIN. FOR THOSE WHO LEFT YOU HAVE MADE ONE OF THE BEST DECISION OF YOUR COURRIER , GOD BLESS YOU,
CED THE COMPANY BIG TIME. GF WILL ONLY BE A REGIONAL AIRLINE AND ENVENTUALLY LOW COST AIRLINE,LETS AGREE ON THAT ONE. IF YOU ARE IN GF THINK HARD AGAIN AND AGAIN. FOR THOSE WHO LEFT YOU HAVE MADE ONE OF THE BEST DECISION OF YOUR COURRIER , GOD BLESS YOU,
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I have a feeling there has never been more dead wood then there is now.
Starting with BN... and onto HR..... then particularly that bloke who is always smoking between costa and canteen, and who probably reinforces the thought of my airline my country all the rest f-off!
Think it is going to sink without any doubt unfortunately.
Hello Bahrain Air, but isn't that also a my airline my country stint?
Starting with BN... and onto HR..... then particularly that bloke who is always smoking between costa and canteen, and who probably reinforces the thought of my airline my country all the rest f-off!
Think it is going to sink without any doubt unfortunately.
Hello Bahrain Air, but isn't that also a my airline my country stint?
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Gulf Air's issues right now ...
PCE. Will they give Mr Naf the job? Will anyone else take it? Not if the board continues to interfere. No top flight Chief Exec will work in an environment where all decisions have to be endorsed by the board. Mr Naf appears to have limited interest in the commercial side of the operation and leaves that to the Acting VP. If he is competent, no problem, but does Mr Naf even have a grasp of the commercial aspects of a major passenger airline?
The Board. Needs to stop interfering. The voluntary severance scheme fiasco was an example of their stupidity. A company needs to be run by its Chief Exec, not the Board. If they do not have confidence in Mr Naf then they should try to find a replacement.
Bahrainisation. There are good Bahraini managers and bad and lazy ones. A proper staff appraisal system is needed to root out the incompetent ones ... and incompetent expats.
In flight. As a regular flyer I agree with the earlier post about too many Bahraini male cabin staff. Business travellers want attractive looking cabin staff (preferably female) to serve them. Look at the success of Virgin and the Singapore Girls.
Human Resources. All my contacts in the company tell me that the department is a disaster. It needs a complete overhaul, not just walls in the de[artment pulled down and a monthly newsletter. Basics like procedures which are understood by everyone and followed within the department.
Technical problems. Is it just a run of bad luck recently? I certainly hope so. I have experienced far too many delays and cancellations in the past few weeks and a look at the departure board indicates that I am not the only one.
Morale. That rumoured new aircraft order would do much to lift the morale of staff .... and passengers. And is the existing fleet to have a complete interior refurbishment in the meantime? If so, more positive news.
Is the worst over for GF? Can the airline have another year as bad as 2007? Maybe there is a silver lining to that black cloud that has been hovering over the Pink Palace?
PCE. Will they give Mr Naf the job? Will anyone else take it? Not if the board continues to interfere. No top flight Chief Exec will work in an environment where all decisions have to be endorsed by the board. Mr Naf appears to have limited interest in the commercial side of the operation and leaves that to the Acting VP. If he is competent, no problem, but does Mr Naf even have a grasp of the commercial aspects of a major passenger airline?
The Board. Needs to stop interfering. The voluntary severance scheme fiasco was an example of their stupidity. A company needs to be run by its Chief Exec, not the Board. If they do not have confidence in Mr Naf then they should try to find a replacement.
Bahrainisation. There are good Bahraini managers and bad and lazy ones. A proper staff appraisal system is needed to root out the incompetent ones ... and incompetent expats.
In flight. As a regular flyer I agree with the earlier post about too many Bahraini male cabin staff. Business travellers want attractive looking cabin staff (preferably female) to serve them. Look at the success of Virgin and the Singapore Girls.
Human Resources. All my contacts in the company tell me that the department is a disaster. It needs a complete overhaul, not just walls in the de[artment pulled down and a monthly newsletter. Basics like procedures which are understood by everyone and followed within the department.
Technical problems. Is it just a run of bad luck recently? I certainly hope so. I have experienced far too many delays and cancellations in the past few weeks and a look at the departure board indicates that I am not the only one.
Morale. That rumoured new aircraft order would do much to lift the morale of staff .... and passengers. And is the existing fleet to have a complete interior refurbishment in the meantime? If so, more positive news.
Is the worst over for GF? Can the airline have another year as bad as 2007? Maybe there is a silver lining to that black cloud that has been hovering over the Pink Palace?
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YOU GUYS WAISTING YOUR TIME . NAF IS NOT THE RIGHT GUY ON THAT JOB AT ALL. HE KNOWS NOTHING IN TERMS OF BUSINESS AVIATION, THAT DUE CANT EVEN BE FLEET MANAGER FORGET RUNNING THE AIRLINE . GULF AIR IS IN DEEP **** MAINLY IS ITS MANAGEMENT,JUST WRONG GUY ALL THE TIMES .
GUY ALL THE TIMES .
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airfort,
what i was saying is i don't care how the locals run the airline. just pay me my next salary that i worked for.
if you want to run your airline to the ground, be my guest, i'll happily leave without having to pay the balance of my bond. if you decide to turn the airline around, great, i stay a bit longer.
don't ever forget one thing, every expat at gf was invited for an interview by your people. you only have yourselves to blame if you chose unwisely.
let's get one thing straight. every expat came here for one reason and one reason alone....to make money. they are not here for al-dirat, amwaj, financial harbour, etc etc etc. they are here for ONE reason. and it ain't for the country.
what i was saying is i don't care how the locals run the airline. just pay me my next salary that i worked for.
if you want to run your airline to the ground, be my guest, i'll happily leave without having to pay the balance of my bond. if you decide to turn the airline around, great, i stay a bit longer.
don't ever forget one thing, every expat at gf was invited for an interview by your people. you only have yourselves to blame if you chose unwisely.
let's get one thing straight. every expat came here for one reason and one reason alone....to make money. they are not here for al-dirat, amwaj, financial harbour, etc etc etc. they are here for ONE reason. and it ain't for the country.
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Who are GF leaders?
Here's some food for thought as we end 2007.
Cast your mind back to 12 months ago and take a look at the management that made up GF - expats and locals but a large number of expats 'running' the business, many hired during Hogan's era.
As with any management structure across the world, the managers were either good or incompetent - we can argue whether the management was good or crap to the camel comes home, so lets not go down this camel track please.
During this summer, many expat managers left - the good ones saw what was happening and where GF was heading and left at the earliest opportunity, the incompetent ones went to EY
and some stayed on - hey Bahrain ain't that bad a place to live 
.
So who replaced the departing expats?
The replacements in many cases were the same local managers who were 'running' the business prior to 2002 - and we all know what nearly happened to GF then. During Hogan's time many were found out to be incompetent and so the Heroes' started to arrive. Now the Heroes' have gone these same managers are now back running the airline.
Sadly for GF, many of the local managers now back in charge have gone back to their old ways and have not learnt a thing - especially how not to be a manager.
Can GF get rid of these guys? Sadly no.
Many of the incompetent ones are in their 40s', with wife and children to feed and loans to pay off. They won't be going anywhere for many years.
These 'managers' have been with GF for over 20 years and will boast about their 20+ years of experience and argue that they can run GF as it was before, be successful, and all that has happened over the past 4 years is the fault of the foreigner and not the local. These guys forget the world has changed.
I've witnessed this in many departments I have to deal with and unfortunately many now 'back' in the driving seat display this arrogance of 'they no better and its the fault of the previous management'. Don't get me wrong, there are some very good local guys, but they are rapidly being overshadowed. Worse still, some who wanted to leave under VRS and were declined just hang around and create misery for others.
For GF the future is not bright. The people the company should be nurturing and developing are leaving. Over the past couple of months I have had to say a sad good-bye to a few young Bahraini's. These guys and gals had drive, passion and professionalism and did a good job. They also wanted to learn and make the business better.
When I asked them why they were leaving the common response was they had enough of GF, its politics, and that their immediate boss was incompetent, unprofessional and treated them like kids who knew nothing.
They all felt GF could not change.
All were snapped up quickly by private businesses.
With this management structure in place, which quality CEO wants to come on board. Many touted Adel Ali, CEO of Air Arabia, and a few others GCC nationals, but these guys won't touch GF as they will have to deal with this 'I have 20+ years of experience and I know what's best', so can't change GF for the better.
Sadly, the next PCE if its not BN will be a junior minister from the government.
So for me, in the words of brassplate, just pay me my next salary that i worked for.
Masalam
Cast your mind back to 12 months ago and take a look at the management that made up GF - expats and locals but a large number of expats 'running' the business, many hired during Hogan's era.
As with any management structure across the world, the managers were either good or incompetent - we can argue whether the management was good or crap to the camel comes home, so lets not go down this camel track please.
During this summer, many expat managers left - the good ones saw what was happening and where GF was heading and left at the earliest opportunity, the incompetent ones went to EY
and some stayed on - hey Bahrain ain't that bad a place to live .So who replaced the departing expats?
The replacements in many cases were the same local managers who were 'running' the business prior to 2002 - and we all know what nearly happened to GF then. During Hogan's time many were found out to be incompetent and so the Heroes' started to arrive. Now the Heroes' have gone these same managers are now back running the airline.
Sadly for GF, many of the local managers now back in charge have gone back to their old ways and have not learnt a thing - especially how not to be a manager.
Can GF get rid of these guys? Sadly no.
Many of the incompetent ones are in their 40s', with wife and children to feed and loans to pay off. They won't be going anywhere for many years.
These 'managers' have been with GF for over 20 years and will boast about their 20+ years of experience and argue that they can run GF as it was before, be successful, and all that has happened over the past 4 years is the fault of the foreigner and not the local. These guys forget the world has changed.
I've witnessed this in many departments I have to deal with and unfortunately many now 'back' in the driving seat display this arrogance of 'they no better and its the fault of the previous management'. Don't get me wrong, there are some very good local guys, but they are rapidly being overshadowed. Worse still, some who wanted to leave under VRS and were declined just hang around and create misery for others.
For GF the future is not bright. The people the company should be nurturing and developing are leaving. Over the past couple of months I have had to say a sad good-bye to a few young Bahraini's. These guys and gals had drive, passion and professionalism and did a good job. They also wanted to learn and make the business better.
When I asked them why they were leaving the common response was they had enough of GF, its politics, and that their immediate boss was incompetent, unprofessional and treated them like kids who knew nothing.
They all felt GF could not change.
All were snapped up quickly by private businesses.
With this management structure in place, which quality CEO wants to come on board. Many touted Adel Ali, CEO of Air Arabia, and a few others GCC nationals, but these guys won't touch GF as they will have to deal with this 'I have 20+ years of experience and I know what's best', so can't change GF for the better.
Sadly, the next PCE if its not BN will be a junior minister from the government.
So for me, in the words of brassplate, just pay me my next salary that i worked for.
Masalam
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At the end of the day, best just go to work, do the job, go home, get paid,(remember some of these "incompetent managers" got us a 30% or better package increase) enjoy life...look at the state of the industry in the USA...pilots walking the streets,(after 30% pay CUTS) and the managers ( whose mismanagement put the airlines in that situation to begin with) paying themselves millions in bonuses..consider ourselves fortunate...Merry Christmas and a happy New year
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Ironbutt57,
I just love your thought process, fck the future, we just got 30%. The very managers people are slagging have exactly the same philosophy.
remember some of these "incompetent managers" got us a 30% or better package increase
I just love your thought process, f
ck the future, we just got 30%. The very managers people are slagging have exactly the same philosophy.
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The future will bring what the future brings..of course we all are concerned about it...but bagging them here on Pprune, without really knowing what they are up against on a day to day basis is not necessarily productive now is it
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So I guess all the cr@p you come up with here on Pprune is productive is it?
Give it a rest mate, the management of this airline is absolutely appalling, whatever you do or say simply will not change that, period.
Give it a rest mate, the management of this airline is absolutely appalling, whatever you do or say simply will not change that, period.
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Hey Butt
Please in your eloquent ways of writing please enlighten all who dare to read.
what would be productive? Just sit back and take it? take it in whatever position they choose for the day? some of us have been taking it for years and we are somewhat sore and none the better for it. Can PPrune oust a CEO? perhaps not. However according to Naf he used it as a reference tool to sweep out who he read as incompetent. There is towing the line and then there is being a whore for saying yes sir without posing questions.
Where are the announcements? Oh right....it was his big announcement. we were told wait for the airshow...we were told first couple of weeks in December. How much can you or anyone else stomach without clearly seeing he has not clue of what dribbles out of his orifice.
Yes you are the pillar of common sense and make for good reading. Now either live up to your reputation of providing your 2 cents or stop making all see that you are BN's little dog. Sit, fetch, roll over, dinner time......
Please in your eloquent ways of writing please enlighten all who dare to read.
what would be productive? Just sit back and take it? take it in whatever position they choose for the day? some of us have been taking it for years and we are somewhat sore and none the better for it. Can PPrune oust a CEO? perhaps not. However according to Naf he used it as a reference tool to sweep out who he read as incompetent. There is towing the line and then there is being a whore for saying yes sir without posing questions.
Where are the announcements? Oh right....it was his big announcement. we were told wait for the airshow...we were told first couple of weeks in December. How much can you or anyone else stomach without clearly seeing he has not clue of what dribbles out of his orifice.
Yes you are the pillar of common sense and make for good reading. Now either live up to your reputation of providing your 2 cents or stop making all see that you are BN's little dog. Sit, fetch, roll over, dinner time......
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In my day to day area of responsibilities..(conducting a line flight) I ask many questions, and occasionally make "operationally inconvenient" decisions in order to assure the safety of a flight. However I cannot pretend to know what the folks on the top floor have to deal with on an hourly basis, therefore do not put myself in the position of criticising them on a public website. Of course most of us myself included have many ideas on how things could be done differently, but without being aware of all the obstacles in their pathway, it s impossible to judge those in charge one way or another. In other words..walk a mile in a man's shoes before criticising him! Signing out..IB
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IB,
Fair enough, you may not know what they are going through on a daily basis, and to individually judge someone is probably tough to do unless you are very familiar with their job. However you can judge the product that GF is supplying and those managers are responsible for that product.
If the product is up to speed then likely the management team is doing their jobs. If the product is subpar then they are lacking somewhere, and i can see why an employee would be frustrated with the situation.
One other point. You think it was the managers that got you a 30% pay rise? I'm not sure i can see a group of the local managers fighting for a pilot pay rise. I suspect it has alot more to do with the large group of pilots that resigned forcing a decision to be made that worked to retain some amount of experience before it was all gone.
Best of luck to all those who remain with GF..hope to see your house in order sooner rather than later.
Fair enough, you may not know what they are going through on a daily basis, and to individually judge someone is probably tough to do unless you are very familiar with their job. However you can judge the product that GF is supplying and those managers are responsible for that product.
If the product is up to speed then likely the management team is doing their jobs. If the product is subpar then they are lacking somewhere, and i can see why an employee would be frustrated with the situation.
One other point. You think it was the managers that got you a 30% pay rise? I'm not sure i can see a group of the local managers fighting for a pilot pay rise. I suspect it has alot more to do with the large group of pilots that resigned forcing a decision to be made that worked to retain some amount of experience before it was all gone.
Best of luck to all those who remain with GF..hope to see your house in order sooner rather than later.
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The payrise was exactly as tbaylx said, it had nothing to do with the management. It was a reaction to the fact that many, if not most, of the pilots were looking elsewhere & also a group of local pilots that went to the board hi-lighting the low salaries that GF had.
Anyone heard anything about the A320 corrosion problem? Rumour has it that the bosses are trying as hard as possible to keep it very hush hush.
Anyone heard anything about the A320 corrosion problem? Rumour has it that the bosses are trying as hard as possible to keep it very hush hush.
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Anyone heard anything about the A320 corrosion problem?
Lets hope not
Ciao