Another one gone. It had hardly got going.

I doubt the pilots will be unemployed for long , in the current outlook as long as they are not competing with too many trying to flee the ME.

Unemployment, even for 6 months, can wreck many families' lives, sadly. The airline industry is particularly susceptible.

And as for the fuel crisis, hiring of Direct Entry pilots will hardly be thriving right now.

You have to have a plan B in this game . I’ve been made redundant numerous times and survived . Don’t live up to the salary , get some savings , live frugally

Crew246 perhaps you could illuminate us all as to why the much-vaunted ‘brexit benefit’ of this operation didn’t deliver as promised?

Condolences to all who are affected by this.

I haven’t heard of this one, any details on this?

The problem was that EU ACMI can operate in the UK market, but no reciprocal rights were negotiated as part of the brexit deal. So UK ACMI were left at a massive disadvantage, as is the case in many areas of the UK-EU relationship. Everything should be reciprocal in relationships, without exception.

You are so far away from the truth of Ascends demise, which is publicly being retained from this forum by professionals who know the true reason.

Brexit had NOTHING to do with it!

What is the true reason?

Last September G-NOLA was coming into STN from ALG when the Captain cut fuel to one of the engines, apparently accidentally. The effect was significant but manageable and the operating pilot continued the landing safely but was obviously concerned. The Captain was immediately suspended and the aircraft remained on the ground for over 3 hours while a replacement flight crew was found. The CAA interviewed both crew and the Captain left ascend very quickly. The director of flight operations sent out an email shortly afterwards mentioning this as a "significant safety incident" and reminding staff not to speculate or discuss it as ascend are a "young company" and he was concerned that their "reputation would be adversely affected". He promised to release the internal report but nothing was ever seen. Just one of many safety and operational issues, although this and the runway incident at LTN are probably the worst.

Some favourite operational ones were forgetting to book steps for aircraft access, sending new tyres from the UK to CDG but only including paperwork for one, sending crew to CDG meet an ascend aircraft that was actually going to NCE, trying to send a pilot to ALG via CDG who didn't have a schengen visa, sending crew to MCT without a work visa, telling them to work anyway and being surprised when they had significant difficulties. Sending a crew member to India who had a visa with only two entries to India and then using them to operate a BOM-DXB flight, and "unexpectedly" sending them back to UK after only two sectors.

The list of mistakes by crewing and ops is endless. Some are so hilarious that they seem impossible, however, it's not that surprising for a company whose offices were actually above a shop and where a number senior roles were occupied by people with zero aviation experience and whose qualifications were being friends or family of the CEO.

Very sad for all concerned, but apparently, the CEO had a fabulous black tie birthday party complete with dancers last weekend, so it's not all doom and gloom. If you're him...

But obviously for those left without jobs, or the freelancers left without payment for work or expenses following weeks operating in India, it really is very gloomy indeed.

So what's your take on the real reason?

This may be perhaps a reference to the parent group and debt consolidation activity as alleged in various press commentary in the past regarding Smartlynx and Avion Express?. Of course this would be highly unlikely I think in Ascends case as it would have obvious for quite some time to the head of the company if this was to be true?.

All the ACMI companies owned in some sort by Aviasolutiongroup (Avion express, smartlynx, etc) are just empty boxes, tools used to inflate the Lithuanian scammer and draw moneys from investors...

Last September G-NOLA was coming into STN from ALG when the Captain cut fuel to one of the engines, apparently accidentally. The effect was significant but manageable and the operating pilot continued the landing safely but was obviously concerned

So inadvertently shutdown? Continued approach with no go around or QRH action other than putting the fuel cutoff back to the correct position?! Presumably a MAX not NG to cope with that without an engine exceedance?

I’m now better briefed than I was this morning…

You assume a direct causality.

This is not a casual issue. An airline, operating half-a-dozen transport aircraft, was established and granted a UK AOC. It employed people, wrote contracts, contributed to the economy, and enabled commerce of many kinds. Then, like the darkness at dawn, it’s gone. Shattered lives, lost earnings, mortgage payments unmade, suppliers staring at balance sheets, and a regulator looking in fear and trembling - I hope - at its doings.

There’s a lot of unpacking to do here…

Nothing wrong with that, when I joined EK their offices were on top of shops, specifically the Ponderosa Steakhouse. Everyone needs to start somewhere.

Anilv

Obviously I don’t know exactly what happened, but if they were established on final approach & remained stable, what benefit would a go/around bring?

Well they were more questions from an observer from the outside - so this is suggestive of something darker then? deliberate? UK level, or group level?

G-NOLA is a MAX, so they continued the approach