Gulf Air: Qatar/Oman refuse new funds & New CEO
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Is anybody aware of GF pilots going on a "Work to Rule" or "go slow" action due to some kind of frustration with management?
Last week a GF B767-300ER en route BEY-AUH was crusing at a very strange speed of Mach 0.7!!!! The pilots took all their time in BEY during push back even ordering the push back crew to come back and push the plane further as the pilots were not satisfied with the position of the plane. When questioned by ATC about their very low cruising speed they answered that they were maintaining Long Range Cruise speed because FL410 was occupied!?!?
Last week a GF B767-300ER en route BEY-AUH was crusing at a very strange speed of Mach 0.7!!!! The pilots took all their time in BEY during push back even ordering the push back crew to come back and push the plane further as the pilots were not satisfied with the position of the plane. When questioned by ATC about their very low cruising speed they answered that they were maintaining Long Range Cruise speed because FL410 was occupied!?!?
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Flight International is saying that the big meeting for the 4 "owner" states to vote on the USD 272 million cash injection is tomorrow (29 th).
GF would have to be in extremely serious strife if there is not a positive resolution.
Any advance ideas on the result ?
GF would have to be in extremely serious strife if there is not a positive resolution.
Any advance ideas on the result ?
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Well A767, that is good news. I just hope that they don't burn through this cash injection.
A767 did you get this info from a reliable source becuase many newspapers such as Al Hayat said that Qatar will not be paying up.
Regards,
MTQ
A767 did you get this info from a reliable source becuase many newspapers such as Al Hayat said that Qatar will not be paying up.
Regards,
MTQ
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Having left Gulf Air in 95 and now find myself employed by BA I don't hold up much hope of the Gulf Aviation idea, it's a real shame though, as then there were people who could actually run an airline, anyone know where they are now?
They're definitely not in GF or BA
They're definitely not in GF or BA
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That B767 from Beirut is exactly right about the slow speed cruise due to non availabilty of higher level,especially when GF despatch plan you at F410 and you are stuck at F250,270 290,and thats it.
One such Skipper had taken CFP fuel to the kilo and got himself in the s*** due he diverted to Amman on the Beirut-Bahrain sector and made a tech stop.
Always good to take some for mum and the kids on some of those well known areas like Saudi airpace etc.
Neverthe less GF has a SOP on Cruise at a minimum of max range cruise or engine out speed,so its normal for those guys to be conservative.
One such Skipper had taken CFP fuel to the kilo and got himself in the s*** due he diverted to Amman on the Beirut-Bahrain sector and made a tech stop.
Always good to take some for mum and the kids on some of those well known areas like Saudi airpace etc.
Neverthe less GF has a SOP on Cruise at a minimum of max range cruise or engine out speed,so its normal for those guys to be conservative.
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Qatar has indeed decided to pull out. The rest of the owner states will pump in $80 million (far short of the $270 million requested). There will be another board meeting to discuss the future of GF in August.
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Some people up early?
Just trying to put in the link to the GDN web site but the web site is a load of jelly babys today
Yes looks like no more commercial secrets going to Doha
However $80 million is not enough to get them out of the hole.
Just trying to put in the link to the GDN web site but the web site is a load of jelly babys today
Yes looks like no more commercial secrets going to Doha
However $80 million is not enough to get them out of the hole.
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Sounds like death by a thousand cuts.
Qatar will no doubt be delighted to further antagonise Bahrain with this action.
Qatar Airways must be poised for some huge expansion and rubbing their hands together.
Interesting to see how long Oman stays in the picture ?
Qatar will no doubt be delighted to further antagonise Bahrain with this action.
Qatar Airways must be poised for some huge expansion and rubbing their hands together.
Interesting to see how long Oman stays in the picture ?
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Here is the article in GDN:
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Artic...=24259&Sn=BNEW
Qatar pulls out as Gulf Air's partner
ABU DHABI
Qatar has pulled out of Gulf Air, while the three remaining partners - Bahrain, Oman and Abu Dhabi - will immediately inject around $80 million (BD30.2m) into the cash-strapped company, the airline's chairman announced last night.
"Qatar has withdrawn from Gulf Air as a partner, but the three other partners will continue to support the airline," Shaikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan said after a board meeting in Abu Dhabi.
"The three (remaining) partners have decided to support Gulf Air by contributing BD30m immediately, in equal shares," he said. "Different options are being studied to restructure the airline and make it profitable. We are confident it will become a profitable airline."
The three governments will consider compensating Qatar for its 25 per cent stake "in view of the company's general situation," Qatari Oil Minister Abdulla bin Hamad Al Attiyah said after the meeting.
A Bahraini official said earlier this month that Qatar and Oman, equal partners in Gulf Air with the governments of Abu Dhabi and Bahrain, had refused to pump up more capital to bail out the airline.
The refusal followed Gulf Air's request of the four owners during an emergency meeting in Abu Dhabi on April 22 to increase its capital by $272.5m in a bid to overcome a crisis worsened by the September 11 . This was followed by reports that Oman and Qatar would reconsider their stances and bail out the airline.
"It is sad Qatar is leaving, but I thank them and respect their decision," Gulf Air's chairman said. "The legal and other implications of Qatar's pullout are being studied." He said a newly-appointed chief executive, Australian James Hogan, would draw up a plan within three months to pull the airline out of trouble.
Hogan, previously chief executive of Ansett Airlines in Australia and BMI British Midlands Airways, will present the plan at another meeting of directors in August, he said. New routes will be added and others closed, Shaikh Hamdan said, adding he was confident of a turnaround in the carrier's fortunes after it is restructured.
The four owners had already injected $160m into Gulf Air in May 2001. The airline's capital currently stands at $344m. Oman and Qatar stressed "the need to apply the restructure plan to Gulf Air" drawn up by US aviation consultants Simet Hellielson and Eicher, an aviation source said.
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Artic...=24259&Sn=BNEW
Qatar pulls out as Gulf Air's partner
ABU DHABI
Qatar has pulled out of Gulf Air, while the three remaining partners - Bahrain, Oman and Abu Dhabi - will immediately inject around $80 million (BD30.2m) into the cash-strapped company, the airline's chairman announced last night.
"Qatar has withdrawn from Gulf Air as a partner, but the three other partners will continue to support the airline," Shaikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan said after a board meeting in Abu Dhabi.
"The three (remaining) partners have decided to support Gulf Air by contributing BD30m immediately, in equal shares," he said. "Different options are being studied to restructure the airline and make it profitable. We are confident it will become a profitable airline."
The three governments will consider compensating Qatar for its 25 per cent stake "in view of the company's general situation," Qatari Oil Minister Abdulla bin Hamad Al Attiyah said after the meeting.
A Bahraini official said earlier this month that Qatar and Oman, equal partners in Gulf Air with the governments of Abu Dhabi and Bahrain, had refused to pump up more capital to bail out the airline.
The refusal followed Gulf Air's request of the four owners during an emergency meeting in Abu Dhabi on April 22 to increase its capital by $272.5m in a bid to overcome a crisis worsened by the September 11 . This was followed by reports that Oman and Qatar would reconsider their stances and bail out the airline.
"It is sad Qatar is leaving, but I thank them and respect their decision," Gulf Air's chairman said. "The legal and other implications of Qatar's pullout are being studied." He said a newly-appointed chief executive, Australian James Hogan, would draw up a plan within three months to pull the airline out of trouble.
Hogan, previously chief executive of Ansett Airlines in Australia and BMI British Midlands Airways, will present the plan at another meeting of directors in August, he said. New routes will be added and others closed, Shaikh Hamdan said, adding he was confident of a turnaround in the carrier's fortunes after it is restructured.
The four owners had already injected $160m into Gulf Air in May 2001. The airline's capital currently stands at $344m. Oman and Qatar stressed "the need to apply the restructure plan to Gulf Air" drawn up by US aviation consultants Simet Hellielson and Eicher, an aviation source said.
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News Article Gulf News
Qatar pulls out of Gulf Air
Abu Dhabi |By Stanley Carvalho | 30-05-2002
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Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan (second from right), Abdullah bin Hamad Al Atiyyah (right), Sheikh Malik bin Sulaiman Al Maamary (left) and Sheikh Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa at the board meeting of Gulf Air in Abu Dhabi yesterday. © Gulf News
Qatar, one of the strategic equity shareholders of Gulf Air, has pulled out, adding further to the woes of the losing airline but Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Oman have affirmed their commitments and will inject 30 million Bahraini dinars immediately to help the airline tide over the crisis.
The legal implications of Qatar's withdrawal will be studied in detail as Qatar refused to inject the required cash for Gulf Air, top officials said, adding that the three remaining partners will now hold equal equity in the airline.
Gulf Air has an authorised capital of 135 million dinars. "Qatar has withdrawn from Gulf Air but the three others will continue to support the airline and have committed to inject 30 million dinars equally to keep the airline going," said Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Chairman of Gulf Air, after a five-hour meeting of the board in the capital yesterday.
However, the chairman expressed optimism that the airline will come out of the red with a new restructuring plan to be presented by the newly appointed chief executive by the end of August.
"The study undertaken for restructuring the airline will include different options to increase the profitability of the airline such as adding new routes, closing some unprofitable routes," he said.
The total debt of Gulf Air currently stand at around $800 million, said Sheikh Hamdan. "All airlines have debts," he responded when asked why the airline's debts were so high.
About Qatar refusing to inject the much-needed cash for the airline and pulling out as an equity partner, the chairman said, "the complete legal implications on the withdrawal will be studied within three months."
Similarly, a decision will be taken in three months about further contribution by the three other partners to provide a safety net for the airline.
Gulf Air has performed "better" in the first quarter of 2002 and "we are confident this year will be a good year," he said, adding that while it is sad that Qatar has pulled out, the other partners respect its decision.
Gulf Air has a fleet of 30 aircraft currently. "There are no plans to acquire more aircraft for the time being," said a senior official of the airline. The airline suffered a net loss of around 40 million dinars for year 2001, compared to 37 million dinars in 2000.
Upto now, Gulf Air was owned equally by the governments of Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Oman and Qatar with the latter two having their own airlines.
**************************************************
Paint the a/c Navy blue and white, bring in BA Holdings as a partner and call call it 'Gulf Aviation'!!!
·
Abu Dhabi |By Stanley Carvalho | 30-05-2002
Print friendly format | Email to Friend
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan (second from right), Abdullah bin Hamad Al Atiyyah (right), Sheikh Malik bin Sulaiman Al Maamary (left) and Sheikh Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa at the board meeting of Gulf Air in Abu Dhabi yesterday. © Gulf News
Qatar, one of the strategic equity shareholders of Gulf Air, has pulled out, adding further to the woes of the losing airline but Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Oman have affirmed their commitments and will inject 30 million Bahraini dinars immediately to help the airline tide over the crisis.
The legal implications of Qatar's withdrawal will be studied in detail as Qatar refused to inject the required cash for Gulf Air, top officials said, adding that the three remaining partners will now hold equal equity in the airline.
Gulf Air has an authorised capital of 135 million dinars. "Qatar has withdrawn from Gulf Air but the three others will continue to support the airline and have committed to inject 30 million dinars equally to keep the airline going," said Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Chairman of Gulf Air, after a five-hour meeting of the board in the capital yesterday.
However, the chairman expressed optimism that the airline will come out of the red with a new restructuring plan to be presented by the newly appointed chief executive by the end of August.
"The study undertaken for restructuring the airline will include different options to increase the profitability of the airline such as adding new routes, closing some unprofitable routes," he said.
The total debt of Gulf Air currently stand at around $800 million, said Sheikh Hamdan. "All airlines have debts," he responded when asked why the airline's debts were so high.
About Qatar refusing to inject the much-needed cash for the airline and pulling out as an equity partner, the chairman said, "the complete legal implications on the withdrawal will be studied within three months."
Similarly, a decision will be taken in three months about further contribution by the three other partners to provide a safety net for the airline.
Gulf Air has performed "better" in the first quarter of 2002 and "we are confident this year will be a good year," he said, adding that while it is sad that Qatar has pulled out, the other partners respect its decision.
Gulf Air has a fleet of 30 aircraft currently. "There are no plans to acquire more aircraft for the time being," said a senior official of the airline. The airline suffered a net loss of around 40 million dinars for year 2001, compared to 37 million dinars in 2000.
Upto now, Gulf Air was owned equally by the governments of Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Oman and Qatar with the latter two having their own airlines.
**************************************************
Paint the a/c Navy blue and white, bring in BA Holdings as a partner and call call it 'Gulf Aviation'!!!
·
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Well this is good news! I am chuffed that the Qataries are pulling out . Hopefuly soon there will be no more visits to Doha for the sim! I suggest to GF that if they do not want to have the sims at the main base that they put them somewhere sensible like Phuket, las Vegas, Acapulco or Mombasa!!
I suggest to GF that if they do not want to have the sims at the main base that they put them somewhere sensible like Phuket, las Vegas, Acapulco or Mombasa!!
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Cebu .....good place for a sim...or any other "machine with 6-axis motion" that won't follow you around for a week after you ride it for 4 hours
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GULF AIR
Qatar clearly have big, big plans for their own carrier, and the funding formerly for Gulf Air will be simply re-assigned to Qatar Airways.
Anyone taking bets on the probability that Qatar Airways finds itself in exactly the same position soon as GF is today............?
Anyone taking bets on the probability that Qatar Airways finds itself in exactly the same position soon as GF is today............?
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That is an interesting question. QR seem to be expanding very rapidly, maybe too rapidly? They will be starting services to Milan (which GF dropped a few weeks ago due to poor results), Frankfurt, and other destinations. If they are going to be fully supported by the government, who cares if they are making profit or not.
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Qatar Expansion & Gulf Air Contraction
True. Maybe Qatar will start charging all ex-pats income tax soon to pay for the rapid expansion of Qatar Airways and other considerable spend in the peninsula at present.
By the way, Qatar's new A330's (first of 3) are now on line plying the Doha - Heathrow route, as well as Doha - Abu Dhabi and Doha - Dubai.
Nice machines inside and a few innovative cabin features which some of the big boys would benefit from having. Seems that Gulf Air have missed out on some of these niceties which - after all - attracts the self loading freight.
Despite the arrival of the A330 and the two recent new A320's, QR are still making full use of their 7 A300-600's, including their ex A7-ABP, which was re-painted for return to CityBird last October, arrived in Brussels on the day that CityBird folded, and was painted white and currently flies for Qatar as A7-AFA in this hybrid scheme.
The first class seat pitch on this aircraft is a staggering 150"!!!!! Perhaps Gulf Air could lease this excess cabin space from QR and start floor sharing, as well as code sharing.
By the way, Qatar's new A330's (first of 3) are now on line plying the Doha - Heathrow route, as well as Doha - Abu Dhabi and Doha - Dubai.
Nice machines inside and a few innovative cabin features which some of the big boys would benefit from having. Seems that Gulf Air have missed out on some of these niceties which - after all - attracts the self loading freight.
Despite the arrival of the A330 and the two recent new A320's, QR are still making full use of their 7 A300-600's, including their ex A7-ABP, which was re-painted for return to CityBird last October, arrived in Brussels on the day that CityBird folded, and was painted white and currently flies for Qatar as A7-AFA in this hybrid scheme.
The first class seat pitch on this aircraft is a staggering 150"!!!!! Perhaps Gulf Air could lease this excess cabin space from QR and start floor sharing, as well as code sharing.
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I bet Qatar is not quite so keen to come up with their share of Gulf Air's total debt as they were to leave the company.
This could create some knife edge insolvency issues for the carrier.
At what point do the others draw the line and call in the receivers?
Short of a huge cash injection, it would seem that GF now does not have the critical mass necessary to keep going in its current form.
This could create some knife edge insolvency issues for the carrier.
At what point do the others draw the line and call in the receivers?
Short of a huge cash injection, it would seem that GF now does not have the critical mass necessary to keep going in its current form.
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What else do we want, first we get rid of the joke of a PCE Hammer (all I care about is building hours so my mate Ali Abubaker can type me on the A330) along with all his mob who were put there only to say yes to the man and ensure he passes his base checks and then Qatar pulls out. How lucky can we get.
Actually in Hammers case it was not luck at all, his incompetence and vendictiveness combined with Ali's did it for him. Your time is over my dear boys, enough bullying, manipulating and deceiving, you have been uncovered and you have been sent home for good. Now sit back and fly your armchair, at least that way you will no longer disrupt the roster. Let the professionals do the job of flying because you know bu@@er all about it.
Oh by the way the "Short Devil" is you fleet manager again Ali so be carefull out there dear boy.
Actually in Hammers case it was not luck at all, his incompetence and vendictiveness combined with Ali's did it for him. Your time is over my dear boys, enough bullying, manipulating and deceiving, you have been uncovered and you have been sent home for good. Now sit back and fly your armchair, at least that way you will no longer disrupt the roster. Let the professionals do the job of flying because you know bu@@er all about it.
Oh by the way the "Short Devil" is you fleet manager again Ali so be carefull out there dear boy.
Last edited by SwordFish-GF; 31st May 2002 at 10:19.