Ansett to Fly!
Sep 26, 2001, 3:33 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2000
Posts: 657
Ansett to Fly!
Good News,
The ABC is reporting that 5 Ansett A320s initially, rising to 11 (potentially by the weekend) on trunk routes will be operating soon.
The Federal Government has agreed to underwrite AN tickets for 12 weeks, and I believe will waive some charges, at net cost to the taxpayer.
Hopefully something gets going before the Grand Final!
Cheers,
Justin
The ABC is reporting that 5 Ansett A320s initially, rising to 11 (potentially by the weekend) on trunk routes will be operating soon.
The Federal Government has agreed to underwrite AN tickets for 12 weeks, and I believe will waive some charges, at net cost to the taxpayer.
Hopefully something gets going before the Grand Final!
Cheers,
Justin
Sep 26, 2001, 4:05 am
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2000
Posts: 657
Here are some sites to support Ansett.
"Gone Under" http://www.keitharmitage.com/samples...20Armitage.mp3 This song goes to the tune of Men At Work's Man from Downunder.
"TripSwap" AN FA website http://www.tripswap.net/
"Ansett Stars" http://fly.to/ansettstars
"Ansett Central" http://www.geocities.com/ansettcentral/others.html
"Save Ansett" http://www.saveansett.com/messageboard.html
"Keep Ansett Flying" http://www.ansettworkers.main-page.com/
"Ansett Pilots Association" http://www.apa.asn.au
Don't know about this one, but
"Punch Gary Toomey" http://www.dc8p.com/html/boss.html (ID is 60524)
- I don't actually hate Toomey.
Cheers,
Justin
[This message has been edited by Skystar (edited 09-26-2001).]
"Gone Under" http://www.keitharmitage.com/samples...20Armitage.mp3 This song goes to the tune of Men At Work's Man from Downunder.
"TripSwap" AN FA website http://www.tripswap.net/
"Ansett Stars" http://fly.to/ansettstars
"Ansett Central" http://www.geocities.com/ansettcentral/others.html
"Save Ansett" http://www.saveansett.com/messageboard.html
"Keep Ansett Flying" http://www.ansettworkers.main-page.com/
"Ansett Pilots Association" http://www.apa.asn.au
Don't know about this one, but
"Punch Gary Toomey" http://www.dc8p.com/html/boss.html (ID is 60524)
- I don't actually hate Toomey.
Cheers,
Justin
[This message has been edited by Skystar (edited 09-26-2001).]
Sep 26, 2001, 9:59 am
#3
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: H. Kong/Melb - CX/UA/TG/Hilton Elite
Posts: 245
Ansett to fly by weekend
From AAP - 27sep01
ANSETT aircraft will be flying between major cities again this weekend under a government-backed deal aimed at preserving the core of the airline for future sale.
Under the plan - put to the government by the company's administrators - 11 Ansett A320s will be flying within two weeks, providing 13,000 seats on routes between most mainland capital cities.
Around 1,500 Ansett staff will go back to work under the arrangement.
"Ansett is back in the air from Saturday with the recommencement of flights between Melbourne and Sydney," Mark Mentha, of administrator Andersen, told reporters.
The deal came as rival Qantas was forced by heavy public demand to transfer 12 of its international jets to domestic routes from next week to provide an additional 18,000 seats a day.
The federal government deal with Ansett will guarantee travellers' tickets for 12 weeks.
Customers who bought Ansett tickets would either get a flight or be paid a refund by the government, said Transport Minister John Anderson.
But he said the deal did not mean Ansett's resurrection after the airline was placed in voluntary administration earlier this month.
"This is not a rebirth of Ansett - it is rather an arrangement that will preserve the core of the airline until the administrator can work through sale arrangements with prospective purchasers," Mr Anderson told reporters.
He said the administrators had put a sound case for a limited operation that would employ people and preserve a core of the business that would make it easier to sell.
"We can enhance the value of the airline with our planes flying," Mr Mentha said.
For its part, the government wanted to restore as much competition as it could on airline routes, as quickly as possible, Mr Anderson said.
He said the government's liability was capped at $25 million and no other taxpayers' money would be provided.
"In fact the administrator has indemnified the government against available assets, so the government risk is, in every sense of the word, minimal," he said.
Initially, four planes will provide 24 services between Sydney and Melbourne from 9am Saturday.
Further services between Sydney and Perth, Sydney and Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth will follow, although no services were planned for Adelaide at this stage, said Mr Mentha.
Only Kendell flights were scheduled within South Australia, he said.
Plans were being considered to add regional and cargo flights.
Mr Mentha's fellow administrator Mark Korda said the flights would be self-funding.
"These routes will be profitable and we will cover all our costs with our revenue."
ACTU president Sharan Burrow welcomed the deal as a good first step that would give the public confidence.
But she added: "The government hasn't actually taken too big a step in the direction that is necessary, that is to get them to the table to be a genuine party in rebuilding the aviation industry."
Opposition Leader Kim Beazley said it had taken continued pressure from Labor to get the government to support tonight's deal.
He said the government had more to do than just get Ansett flying in time for the election, which is tipped for mid-November.
"This is a stingy version of what the Labor Party's been pressing the government to do for the best part of two weeks now," he told reporters.
"It is a fix for an election, but it is not a fix for Australia, and it's scarcely a fix for an election even."
From AAP - 27sep01
ANSETT aircraft will be flying between major cities again this weekend under a government-backed deal aimed at preserving the core of the airline for future sale.
Under the plan - put to the government by the company's administrators - 11 Ansett A320s will be flying within two weeks, providing 13,000 seats on routes between most mainland capital cities.
Around 1,500 Ansett staff will go back to work under the arrangement.
"Ansett is back in the air from Saturday with the recommencement of flights between Melbourne and Sydney," Mark Mentha, of administrator Andersen, told reporters.
The deal came as rival Qantas was forced by heavy public demand to transfer 12 of its international jets to domestic routes from next week to provide an additional 18,000 seats a day.
The federal government deal with Ansett will guarantee travellers' tickets for 12 weeks.
Customers who bought Ansett tickets would either get a flight or be paid a refund by the government, said Transport Minister John Anderson.
But he said the deal did not mean Ansett's resurrection after the airline was placed in voluntary administration earlier this month.
"This is not a rebirth of Ansett - it is rather an arrangement that will preserve the core of the airline until the administrator can work through sale arrangements with prospective purchasers," Mr Anderson told reporters.
He said the administrators had put a sound case for a limited operation that would employ people and preserve a core of the business that would make it easier to sell.
"We can enhance the value of the airline with our planes flying," Mr Mentha said.
For its part, the government wanted to restore as much competition as it could on airline routes, as quickly as possible, Mr Anderson said.
He said the government's liability was capped at $25 million and no other taxpayers' money would be provided.
"In fact the administrator has indemnified the government against available assets, so the government risk is, in every sense of the word, minimal," he said.
Initially, four planes will provide 24 services between Sydney and Melbourne from 9am Saturday.
Further services between Sydney and Perth, Sydney and Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth will follow, although no services were planned for Adelaide at this stage, said Mr Mentha.
Only Kendell flights were scheduled within South Australia, he said.
Plans were being considered to add regional and cargo flights.
Mr Mentha's fellow administrator Mark Korda said the flights would be self-funding.
"These routes will be profitable and we will cover all our costs with our revenue."
ACTU president Sharan Burrow welcomed the deal as a good first step that would give the public confidence.
But she added: "The government hasn't actually taken too big a step in the direction that is necessary, that is to get them to the table to be a genuine party in rebuilding the aviation industry."
Opposition Leader Kim Beazley said it had taken continued pressure from Labor to get the government to support tonight's deal.
He said the government had more to do than just get Ansett flying in time for the election, which is tipped for mid-November.
"This is a stingy version of what the Labor Party's been pressing the government to do for the best part of two weeks now," he told reporters.
"It is a fix for an election, but it is not a fix for Australia, and it's scarcely a fix for an election even."