The King is dead
 

Lord King has passed away today aged 87

Fred Laker and I are totally devastated!

JW411 has finally revealed himself to be...... Richard Branson!

Farrell:

No squire, I had my very happy career in Laker ended by the scurrilous behaviour of Lord King and his fox-hunting colleagues in BA, PanAm, SABENA, KLM etc etc.

I really don't want to start things all over again but Lord King spoiled me for BALPA, BA and all things decent and left me very much out of work.

For those of you in BA who can be bothered to read this thread, I lost all of my pension but BALPA couldn't have give a damn.

In fact, they were quite pleased that Laker had been put out of business by BA.

I suppose the nice thing is that King has now gone, Adam Thompson (who told MDC that BCAL would never order another DC-10 as long as they supported Fred) went years ago with Altzheimers.

At least Fred is still running aeroplanes at the age of 82.

We have a reunion at LGW in September.

That'll be the pair of silver 727s with LAKER on the side of them and the Bahamian flag on the tail I saw sitting near a maintenance facility in Fort Lauderdale in September then?

Farrell - that's an insult to Sir Dickie ... see JW411's other posts!

Dash 7 - lover:

You are becoming a pain in the arse. I was a DC-10 captain with Fred when Lord King and his gang decided to put Fred out of business.

Now then, you see this as a bit of fun on the pprune website but I was out of a job for the best part of 2 years and had to re-mortgage my house.

I ran pubs and worked in TESCOS stacking shelves so don't tell me what being out of work is like.

I came out the other side but don't ever tell me what a nice man Lord King was.

He was a t***er and he got got caught out and had to pay Fred $13.5 million out of court.

here here JW411!

I never had any involvment with Laker, far too young, but as a fan of the industry, I do admire Freddie Laker... and anything negative that befalls the persons who forced laker out of the UK is well deserved.

P.S. I sympathise with you on boting the rather demoralising jobless situation back then.
I'm currently in such a position and it stinks.

JW411 ........... why the personal attack?. I've also stacked shelves (Sainsbury's) and NEVER been unemployed...... you've lost the plot matey......read the threads...some of them serious.


Read Branson's biography and was impressed and ashamed at what airlines are prepared to do to see off the competition....Lord King's input and the shocking lack of dignity/respect shown and then the corruption with the slot allocations for the inaugural VS flights out of LHR. Still, an extraordinary man.

def worth a read.

Chaps

Someone has passed away today. Whatever you thought of his business ethics, a death inevitably means upset and sorrow from those close to the deceased. Is it too difficult to maintain a level of decorum?

Rgds
Flightrider

Never met the man, but got very used to the sight of him and his Beech 200 runabout at Wycombe back in his days at the head of BA.

Made it sound like a proper airport when you heard "Speedbird 1000" on the R/T

Who was it who said 'de mortuis nil nisi bunkum'?

Flightrider ..... I agree and apologise.

King, Marshall and similar reptiles are the reason why I will NEVER fly ba unless there is no feasible alternative.

So it's Lufthansa again tomorrow.

Actually flightrider, I think that when you feel someone has done you an injustice then the answer to your question is a resounding yes.
After all Hitler and Stalin had people close to them, do you feel that they should be granted the same courteousy of said decorum ? Before anyone accuses me of comparing those two with King, I would like to state categorically that this is not the case.
The point I am seeking to make is that it is quite natural, rightly or wrongly, to feel somewhat indifferent at the passing away of someone who you feel has done you harm or an injustice.
This is not intended as any form of judgement or disrespect to the late Lord King and my sympathy's are extended to his friends and family.
Regards
FBW

Freddie did get a large payout in the aftermath, (about £6 million) but i didn't see him pay any of his ex staff with it.Could someone expalin why ?

Thought the news might stir a few emotive comments.
I met the man several times and he even managed to read my name badge once and addressed me by name. I didn't like him, but his passing ends an era of aviation history. A very clever man and very, very inventive accountant. A master stroke to revalue the BA fleet to turn loss into profit overnight.
He will go down in history as an aviation pioneer, but will be best remembered for the Laker episode as well as the "dirty tricks" Can anybody categorically say that BA was the only company ever to carry out such atrocities? They got caught, is all.:ouch:

RT, you're right.
My original post was intended as an obituary.

The soil raked over a grave, is one small patch of a new and level playing field.

When ever I hear John / Sir / Lord King's name, a phrase that immediately then comes to mind is 'unethical business practices' !

It shouldn't be forgotten that King was at BA's helm during the era of the "dirty tricks" campaign(s).

This was something which subsequently ended with Richard Branson sueing King and BA for libel (in 1992).
BA countersued and the case went to trial (in 1993) whereupon the court found in favour of Branson & Virgin, and King & BA were ordered to pay damages of £500,000 to Branson and £110,000 to Virgin.
BA also had to cough up legal fees up about £3m........ needless to say, King retired soon after.

Aside - The UK arm of Air Europe would probably also have sued wrt 'Dirty Tricks' but they'd already been put out of business (anybody else remember the AE Boardroom & HG's car being bugged; so who did that then ?) - and much the same could probably be said for Laker, BCal, and DanAir.

See also: Dirty Tricks: British Airways' Secret War Against Virgin Atlantic