European Aviation Money worries??
 

rumour has it European parking up there 747-200's? and without the new 737-300's is there a spot of financial trouble in the offing?

I understand the problem with the 747's is engines. They are robbing engines of aircraft to keep one aircraft serviceable.

This is the low point of the year from a cash point of view so they don't need problems like this.

The failure of the takeover going ahead must also be of concern.

Hope they pull it together. It would be a shame to see any established carrier go under, just when the industry is coming out of recession.

I flew with European last year from Bournemouth to Moscow on a charter. I can honestly say it was one of the best and friendliest flights I have ever been on. I hope that they can pull this around, for the staffs sake.

rumour has it European parking up there 747-200's

Only one but they've just got another 3 (ex Virgin/Cathay)
I'm told engines are a big problem and might be their
downfall if a few more pack up in the coming months.

FWIW there's one sitting on the GA side at Amsterdam, with no engines hanging off the wings. Been there for a while now.

So where are the B737-300's ???

Have they been sourced and is the cash in place to acquire them ??

stormin' norman, I understand that one of the "new" ex Virgin 747s is currently stranded in a hangar somewhere in Texas due to a dispute between its owner and the maintenance company. It ain't going anywhere soon, so the existing fleet of four flyable 747s (plus G-BDXO at Amsterdam with no engines - the newest aircraft in the fleet by far) continues to "make do" by shuffling engines around between the fleet until another one needs changing or goes bang.

Two of the 747s were in the DAS-Air hangar at Gatwick for most of this week, not sure what work was being done and whether it was more engine-related woe.

The 737-300s are not coming this year - project shelved. EAC staff notice two weeks ago said as much, including Stoddard back in control after the take-over by Bath Travel and Travel City Direct fell apart. I hear that TCD are extremely uncomfortable about the current position.

A short-haul programme for the 747s due to be flown (Cyprus, Turkey, Canaries etc) by the expanded fleet this summer has also evaporated. Strange that - the charterer was supposed to be Excel, and European's biggest competitor on the 747s - Air Atlanta Icelandic - has just bought a stake in Excel. I can't help but think that European has just been taken for a ride. History should have told them to be very careful when dealing with the Goldcrest Gang.

Amateurs
 

I always said European Aviation were amateurs. I sadly spend some time working for them a few yeras back and doubted they would last as long as they have-so I got out when I could.

They operated in a nepotistic way, looking after their friends. People got promoted in a "you scratch by back, I'll scratch yours. Jobs for the boys. When you did work for them you always were disrupted in your "work" pattern. Phone calls on days off and asking favours, "Just drive yourself up to Manchester will you? We'll put you in an hotel". Then you get to the hotel, and no one had booked you in, so book yourself AND PAY for it yourself and claim it back. Rubbish, enough was enough.

I hope they find a serious guy who can bring them up to standard, as when I was there they were always afraid of another sneek CAA visit. Work for them at your peril.

MrGoodGuy,
Sorry to hear about your bad experiences with EAC. I have personally completely different view of them. No complaints what so ever. Nice folks!
Blues

Mrgoodguy !! Have a little axe to grind do we? Only two posts since registering, and both slagging off EAAC !!

Did you honestly expect a stable roster when joining a charter airline? Perhaps you were not up to European's high standards, hence the sour grapes. I am amazed you managed to get a job in the first place, with spelling like that.

Flightrider

Your ear is definately close to the ground, keep us posted ?

MrGoodGuy...Please wind your neck in and quit EAAC bashing! There are quite a few good folks there who have busted their collective buns to keep the airline afloat!

From both your previous posts, it's obvious you had a problem with the lifestyle at EAAC. I hope seriously that you refrain from plying your cred's at AAI as well. WE do not need your type, either......Try Africa, OK?

On another note, does anyone have the gen on the 742 sitting at KUL? My friends on the MAS Kargo contract have noticed it hasn't moved much during the Hadj, phase II....

Hoping EAAC survives another season! Don't give up on working for AAI/Excel. We might need the back-up., sometime. :ok:

Flyable 747's exlcuding XO and Xf are surely XE, XG, XH, XJ. MA which makes 5 not the 4 mentioned earleir.

course I could be wrong but I don't think I am

Flightrider

How do you know the deal has fallen apart betweem EAL, Bath Travel and TCD?

EAC - Money worries
 

Hi All, this is what I posted a few days ago.......

EAC/E7 - Paul Stoddard is back!

All the information is correct (as far as I'm aware!)

I posted it on the Airlines and Airports section.

747's may have been positioned to Filton as costs are somewhat cheaper to park a/c there than LGW!!

:cool:

Nb. Crashy edited to fix URL above.

Im just a pax and I flew European from Gatwick to Sanford on 31 Jan.

The plane seemed in a bit of a state internaly. On to of that we had a 'technical' problem of some sort soon after take off.
we had to dump fuel and return to gatwick.

left the next day after a night in a Hotel. 400 odd extremly cheesed off punters. (and a nice big bill for somebody no doubt)

PS

I have to say the Europen staff were briliant. shame about the plane

I dont understand this thread........

EAC have no aircraft, no engines, no routes and no money...

All in all no worries ???????

Bye Bye....

I don't understand such a negative attitude that some members got.
Like it or not European is in operation and giving jobs for a bunch of real professionals!
Blues

TCD have added a Las Vegas program for the summer, so I'd be surprised if they're walking away from EAC completely:ok:

BTW I hope they've got the Schedules right because when it get to mid summer the old 742's might struggle a little:uhoh:

Give a dog a beach,
Your occupation clearly sums you up. You know nothing of EAC. Please stop posting nonsense.

EAC
 

Hi there....

Heard that Air Atlanta Europe will take over the majority of the Travel City Direct program.

15 flights a week to Orlando and 2 a week to Vegas.

Who told you that IRISHCC? Was it the pixie at the bottom of your garden?

I just talked to TCD on Tel:08709 505 176. the nice young lady informs me that it will be EAC doing the Vegas in the summer.

Try to do some research before you just go posting cr**p

Iwish, if any switch hasn't been confirmed yet and they may well be evaluating a change, do you really think TCD reservations are going to say "well, it might be European or it might be Air Atlanta, but we haven't really made our minds up yet"? It is also eminently possible that the "nice young lady" - your phrase, not me being patronising - doesn't actually know if there is a change in the offing. I would suggest that you try to be less naive before jumping down other people's throats.

Latest news from European is rumblings of staff being asked to take pay cuts and company seeking new investors to replace the failed Bath/TCD deal.

EAC...TCD..CC....SFB
 

Thank you Flightrider.


Atlanta are opening bases in MAN and LGW on March 8th, in anticipation of commencing SFB flight for Travel City Direct from March 13th.
At present the flight on March 13th is operated by EAC.

Nothing has been confirmed....and I never stated it had been in my previous post.

The reason engines are getting hard to find is that most are getting put into the power generation market.

Basil,

Just maybe I know alot more about EAC and Air Atlanta Europe than you do, Suggest you watch this space.

And as said later, wait and see what happens in the middle of March.;)

747 Flight Crew on a month's unpaid leave it is said

FACT Flightrider, we have not been asked to take a pay cut at EAC.....get your facts right before you post rubbish on here.

Bush, I note you're quick to deny the pay cut rumour, but don't mention Porky Speedpig's rumour. Is that true or also "rubbish" - surely you must appreciate there is extensive scope for the two to be confused, as they are virtually synonymous?

Irishcc, does that mean that Atlanta are closing their existing bases at MAN and LGW so that they can re-open them?

I think it is a disgrace when senior station staff of an airline start spreading rumours to destabilise another. What goes around comes around and I will laugh loudly if it does.

All these comments are absolutely appalling, this used to be a nice industry with pleasant folk now it seems many of you can't wait to stick the knife in and see another company bite the dust and perhaps fellow colleagues lose their jobs.

If you don't have anything positive to say then keep all your theories and tittle tattle to yourselves, I have been redundant several times and it is not a pleasant experience especially at a time when the avaition industry is not riding the crest of a wave.

There was a time when I thought that Pprune had a useful role to play in the aviation business but I am rapidly coming to the conclusion that Danny has rather created a monster and it is now starting to run amok. Too many people using it for their own agenda with little thought for other people their careers and families.

I for one have very much reduced the amount I read on Pprune anymore and I suspect many others are doing the same, but please an appeal to some of you perhaps newer entrants to the avaition and airline business, don't have a go at colleagues for the sake of it just think a little before you post some of your replies.

Engines hard to find as going for power generation?! Although a version of the RB211 (very modified without fan) is used in power generation the reason is more generally aviation logistics/economics related i.e. operators/owners start to part out engines instead of putting them through SV at great cost to sit on a trolley doing nothing...the critical parts are sold on or used as required...the existing engines are run out and the cycle continues...eventually leaving a smaller pool of cores all of which have to under go SV at considerable cost (approx $1.4 mil on an RB211 I saw quoted)...a lot of money for a small or cash strapped operator

Big engines not only hard to find, small engines giving difficulty as well!

Just saw the F1 qualifying in Melbourne on TV and one of the Minardis couldn't even start its engine in the pit garage.

Sponsor: European Aviation!

sponsor European??
other than a tiny caption on one helmet, I noticed a complete lack of European sponsorship this time.
as well, with his UK av company in apparent dire straits, where is Mr Stoddard? in the pits in Aus! guess we know where his priorities lay.
Either way, and to all those who seem to have forgotten this is called "rumors" I do not see anything malicious in stating the "rumor" that AAI are taking over the Orlando and Vegas trips from Mar 15th.
Perhaps someone from EAC can nip this in the bud simply by confirming that they have any of these trips on their roster after the 15th Mar??

My sister Dolly tells me that G-CCMB is sitting there in Texas rather forlornly.

She tells me that something called the rear pressure bulkhead has some funny, crusty marks the nice man in the ribs an' beer joint called corrosion. Can anyone explain why everyone seems so upset by it??

Spitfire PRXIX
Well said.
But why is XF being scrapped?

Thank you for the clear update Spitfire.
Canadair, to "nip things in the bud" as you put it, I am scheduled to operate 2 SFB returns after March 15th....hope that helps.
European is making some fairly sweeping changes to it's long haul operation, but will (IMHO!) come out leaner, fitter, and in the case of certain other operators who have been stirring things distinctly meaner!
As for pay cuts, it's news to me. What is true is that 747 Flight deck crew were offered unpaid leave in March and some have taken up the offer...not an unheard of occurrence in any business.
Regards to all who wish us well.

well other than the Grand Prix..this is what Paul Stoddard was up to in Australia..

AAP

Third budget airline flagged
March 7, 2004 - 6:18PM

Formula One Minardi team boss Paul Stoddart hopes to have a new budget airline called OzJet flying Australia's east coast by Christmas.

Mr Stoddart, in Australia for the Grand Prix, said today that OzJet would take on Virgin Blue and Qantas discount airline JetStar.

"We'll start off with about half a dozen aircraft, probably launching in about October," he told the Ten Network.

"We're hoping to get in just before Christmas."

OzJet would initially focus on the Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane markets and would most likely operate from suburban airports like Essendon and Moorabbin in Melbourne, Bankstown in Sydney and Archerfield in Brisbane.

Melbourne-born Mr Stoddart has said he believes there is room for a cut-price airline in Australia modelled along the lines of European success stories Eurojet and Ryanair.


and from the horses mouth re European.....

"We are in the process of evaluating the business of a discount air carrier, yes," Mr Stoddart said from his UK home.

"I have sold my airline here, which doesn't wrap up for another couple of months. Obviously, Australia is a market I have an intensive interest in and I have been watching the industry since Virgin Blue came in.


Looks like PS. is coming back home to Melbourne...

cheers

Ramptech

But as a director, he is also legally responsible for any comments made about the company he owns...so it looks as if the sale is going ahead, much as it may dismay the filthy vultures at Air Atlanta..........trebles all round, cheers!!!!:}

I have a few mates who work for EAC (hence my interest) and although its good to hear they have work lined up for summer if I was an EAC employee I would not fuel this debate. (IMHO) It is exactly what people want!!

From what I understand EAC have their own secure Chat forum on the extranet best to post there and leave the "back stabbers" to post here.

Good luck to both AAI and EAC. As has already been said "this was once a nice industry to work in" and these boards used to be informative!!