The biggest problem at Arkefly (TAN) is within the management and some of the staff that they employ and this starts at the very top with Steven van der Heijden, who is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) van TUI Nederland. He is very small minded and has a reputation across the industry for being harsh towards his employees. I would be surprised if the TUI group keeps the Arkefly operation running, as they must have very high overheads and they have functions within the company that other airlines within the TUI group have outsourced to handling agents etc. When travelling on a package holiday from the Netherlands we have very little choice when it comes to which airline we go with, however I must say Arkefly is the worst carrier that we currently have operating from the Netherlands. Given the current climate I think that it is about time that major changes occur at Arkefly.

'Given the current climate I think that it is about time that major changes occur at Arkefly.'

Absolutely true Harlem, their CEO is not capable to run Arkefly.
He should do OK as a. . . .farmer?
Arkefly should be run by TUI airline management in Hannover and not by a tour operator.

Well Morse there are ways to talk the economy down and there are ways to talk
companies down the drain. It's all psychology the experts say.
That should not be our intention although rumour says it.
A discussion on the 'going about their business' is ok, but never forget people work there and rumours could become wishfull thinking for whatever reason.
Arkefly is definitely in need of a better CEO. We all know airlines are incomparable with other businesses and need (operational)aviation people to run them.

Anyway I very much enjoyed the Morse series on TV, never missed one.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time......'

Arke is a long-established and well respected travel company based in East Netherlands. It probably seemed like a good idea to add it's 'own' airline brand name, albeit part of a bigger club, when Exel came on the market (or whomever).

Seems they are being dragged into a rather murky whirlpool, not all of their own making. Cut them some slack guys.

I do not want to dissapoint you but history is different.
Holland Exel went bankrupt and TUI stepped in to continue this company in order not to loose to many seats in that period.

Trying to figure out a name wasn't hard, it should end with ....Fly and than preferably with a Dutch tour operator under TUI flag in front af that , Arke seemed to fit in front.

So it became ArkeFly.
(With some involvement from Holland but they made that one up in Germany , in Holland it sounds a bit strange as Fly and Vlaai are rather close to much amusement of all the crew).

And so there is no real connection between Arke and ArkeFly other than that Arke was sold to TUI some time ago and ArkeFly is a TUI activity.

Hi GP76 ,
are you seriously suggesting that with a quote likeyour company might get into more trouble ?
Because it is all psychological ?

Well, it is true that economy's suffer for a certain part by what people feel because they hear and read stuff. Look at the financial markets and the credit crisis lately, doom and gloom.
Very true, it cannot be stopped and this a rumour network but to pretend knowing what the TUI board says or thinks goes a bit far in my humble opinion.

A lot of people have left already, captains and F/Os, even to Ryanair and Globespan.
Guess everybody who could have left.
Don't hear a lot of rumours anymore but a lot more people are looking around.

OpenSkies is a favourite now,
despite the IFALPA recruitment ban !

How long are the wet leased Futura 737 and the Spanair 320 staying?