SkyEurope Airlines Comments on Management Reshuffling

"Reshuffling of the management of low cost air carrier SkyEurope Airlines, a.s. does not directly relate to the current financial situation in the company, says its spokesman Tomas Kika. It is not uncommon for important changes to appear in management. He said he would not seek a direct connection, as the change was a result of a mutual agreement reached by Mr. Bitter and the company. This does not mean a large change in the overall process or in relation to passenger transport, he explained. SkyEurope Airlines is the first air carrier in the European Union to undergo this process amidst the crisis."
Source: SITA Slovenska Tlacova Agentura

Ryanair boss wants passengers to stand on flights

"Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary wants passengers to STAND on the budget airline’s flights — in a bid to pack in more people and boost profits. Passengers would pay less to huddle next to what have been described as “bar stools”, with seatbelts around their waists. O’Leary has already held talks with US plane manufacturer Boeing about designing a jet with standing room. He is now hoping to get the go-ahead from the Irish Aviation Authority before ordering a new fleet. A Ryanair spokesman said: “If they approve it, we’ll be doing it.”"

Jason Bitter resigns as Chairman of the Board of Directors SkyEurope Airlines

"SkyEurope Holding AG announces that Jason Bitter, by mutual agreement, has resigned as chairman of the board of directors of SkyEurope Airlines a.s. as of 3-Jul-2009. Vice chairman, Nick Manoudakis, has been elected the new chairman of the board of directors of SkyEurope Airlines a.s."

SkyEurope’s black boxes

"It’s not difficult to search for the black box in the case of SkyEurope’s accident. The company’s managers acknowledge that during its growth and formation they made several mistakes. The company was pressured by high fuel prices and exhausting conflicts between low-cost airlines. The company wanted to handle this at the standard which was in line with traditional airlines. SkyEurope had acute cash problems since August of last year. Kosice airport was the first to step into the fight over unpaid invoices. In November it sent executors to the company who blocked its accounts. Three weeks ago the same airport, with its Viennese owners, locked horns with SkyEurope again."

Vueling and clickair merger set for completion mid July

"Five year-old Vueling, the Spanish low fare airline, will formally combine with its rival clickair on the 9th of July to create what the new Vueling CEO Alex Cruz calls ‘a merger of equals.’ On Monday 29th June the Spanish stock market regulator CNMW exempted Iberia from making a takeover bid for the new airline but Iberia will hold a 45.85% shareholding in the new Vueling."

Ryanair misleading the public

"Air Malta strongly rebutted the statement issued by Ryanair this week in which the airline said it confirmed that the Irish airline is Europe’s number one for customer service with the best on time performance, the fewest cancellations and the least lost bags. Ryanair also tried to undermine Air Malta’s consistently good operational performance amongst European airlines, Air Malta said in a statement on Friday afternoon. Ryanair was commenting on the Association of European Airlines Consumer Report for Winter 2008/09 (a copy of which is attached). Ryanair is not a member of this Association. This is the second time that Ryanair has issued such a misleading statement on the Maltese carrier."

SkyEurope collapses

"Struggling budget airline goes into holding pattern after seeking protection from creditors. Budget airliner SkyEurope has gone into administration after several years of heavy losses. The Slovak-based airline has long been regarded by City watchers as one of the most vulnerable European carriers as restructuring and consolidation carries on apace in the European aviation industry, the FT reported."

Wizz Air to enter Slovak market in fall

"Hungarian low-fare airline Wizz Air on Wednesday said it will enter the Slovakian market with the launch of a Bratislava-Rome flight from September 20. Wizz Air made the announcement just days after Bratislava-based peer SkyEurope filed for bankruptcy protection. 'Slovakia was always part of our plans. Now the time has come to take advantage of opportunities on the market,' said Wizz Air deputy-CEO John Stephenson. 'This is the first step, but more will follow.'"

Airlines that charge for oxygen 'shamed' in Commons

"Airlines that charge passengers suffering breathing difficulties for use of oxygen cylinders were named and shamed in the Commons yesterday. Ryanair, First Choice and BMI were named among those that refuse passengers the right to bring their own cylinders on board and then levy charges for using oxygen provided."

Airlines adding insurance cost to tickets despite EU ban

"Consumer watchdogs in the UK have reported that airline passengers are automatically being charged for travel insurance by airlines - in breach of a European Union ban on the practice. According to the report, easyJet, Jet2.com and Monarch are all adding the insurance fee when customers book online, and that a box has to be un-ticked in order to opt out of the coverage. Consumers that do not notice the insurance fee end up paying from £7 to £10.49 per passenger. The automatic addition of extras to airfares was banned by the European Union in November of 2008. Which? Holiday magazine, formerly published by the Consumers Association, went on to say in its report that the cover offered by easyJet was the only one meeting its minimum criteria for travel insurance. Eleven airlines were checked in the study."

DAA denies Ryanair claims over security

"The Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) has denied claims by Ryanair that a “security failure” last Saturday caused more than 50 of the airline’s passengers to miss early morning flights. Ryanair said the failure of the DAA to efficiently operate the Dublin airport’s security area left passengers queuing for more than 30 minutes last Saturday. “This is the second major Dublin Airport security failure so far this summer after long queues on 26th May resulted in more than 100 passengers missing their flights,” Ryanair said yesterday. A spokeswoman for the DAA said there was no security failure at the airport and that no passengers, travelling with Ryanair or any other operator, had complained to the DAA of missing their flight."

Ryanair criticises DAA security as 50 passengers miss flights on Saturday

"Ryanair, Dublin Airport’s largest airline, today (29 June) criticised the DAA Monopoly for its failure to efficiently operate security last Saturday morning (27th June 09) which caused over 50 Ryanair passengers to miss their early morning flights. This is the second major Dublin Airport security failure so far this summer after long queues on 26th May resulted in over 100 passengers missing their flights. Ryanair passengers reported delays of over 30 minutes to clear passenger security which contradicts the DAA’s recent claims that it takes a maximum of 15 minutes."

Speculation over future ownership of bmibaby after lufthansa buys parent

"Lufthansa, the German airline, said it was too early to spell out the future of BMI's UK operation following its £223m takeover. More than 400 staff are employed at BMI's UK head office at Castle Donington and the headquarters of its low-cost airline BMIbaby is at East Midlands Airport. Lufthansa takes control of the airline, founded by Sir Michael Bishop, on July 1. A spokesman said: "We have no plans at the moment because we have only now got the chance to get into it's financial structure. "Only then could we determine what we can do with BMI, BMI Regional and BMIbaby." The spokesman added that "all possibilities" were on the table."
Source: Nottingham Evening Post

SkyEurope sparks fears of more airline failures

"A spate of airline failures is expected to follow that of the low-cost, Slovakia-based SkyEurope, which went into administration this week. The airline carried more than three million people last year on flights across central Europe, including routes from London to Prague, Bratislava and Kosice. It filed for bankruptcy protection from its creditors on Monday, after months of falling passenger numbers. It is still continuing to operate services and hopes to find new investors. ProtectMyHoliday.com, a financial protection company, gave warning this week that SkyEurope would be the first of many airlines to go into administration as they run out of money during the economic downturn."

Ryanair goes too far

"Ryanair, you either love them or loathe them. I'm firmly in the loathing camp. Of course I'm naturally predisposed to like anything that's cheap, so I'm shocking myself, but there's something about all those underhand charges that sticks in the craw. Now they have gone a stage further, and propose cutting the already no-frills service to something akin to getting on a coach – only slightly less glamorous. The thing that really irks me is that they're not just making life awkward for their passengers this time – they are affecting everyone else in the airport too. So what's the plan?"

Ryanair Eur1 Flights Ads 'False'

"No-frills airline Ryanair landed in hot water yesterday for an ad that falsely offered flights EUR1 a ticket. The Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland upheld complaints from two disgruntled customers who had tried to get the advertised flights but realised they were being charged more. An ASAI spokesman said: "Ryanair, on one occasion, offered flights from Dublin, Kerry and Shannon from EUR1 and it stated it was a one-way fare including taxes and charges. The complainant said she tried to book flights to Aberdeen, the taxes and charges were extra."
Source: Mirror

Airport to sue Ryanair for breach of contract

"Shannon Airport Authority is expected to pursue Ryanair for financial compensation of at least €2m for breaching the terms of a five-year contractual agreement with the airport. That agreement, which was signed in 2005 and is due to conclude next April, included the stipulation that the no-frills airline was to carry 1.9 million passengers though Shannon in the fifth year of the agreement. However, Ryanair was perceived to have broken that agreement following cutbacks in services this March and those pending this October, which were announced just last week. The airline has also indicated that it may not renew that deal next year, representing another financial blow to Shannon Airport and the region given the latest cutbacks by Aer Lingus on its transatlantic routes."

SkyEurope planes seized in Bucharest and Paris

"After Orly Airport in Paris seized an airliner belonging to Slovak low-cost air carrier SkyEurope Airlines on Monday, June 22, the airport in Bucharest, Romania, did the same with an additional two SkyEurope aeroplanes on June 23. The two planes in Bucharest were later allowed to depart. Bucharest Airport alleges that SkyEurope owes it €529,000, the Romanian Transport Ministry explained. Orly has been holding one plane since Monday and has also stated that unpaid debts are the reason for its move, the Czech news portal iHNed.cz reported."

Ryanair to launch online gambling (...again)

"Budget airline Ryanair has resurrected plans for an in-flight online gambling system. Announcing the new plans this week, a Ryanair spokesman told the Wall Street Journal: “Ryanair's onboard gaming systems are still in the development-and-research phase with the focus on launching the service in three to five years.” The budget airline first announced plans for an onboard gambling system back in 2005, when Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary said he believed revenue from gaming and gambling could eventually do away with the need for air fares, although the scheme never transpired."

Ryanair and easyJet battle leaves passengers the winners

"A new flight fight broke out between Ryanair and easyJet yesterday - with passengers the winners. As Ryanair shut its website for an upgrade, its rival swooped, knocking 10% off flights on 10 popular routes. They include London Stansted to Malaga and Faro, Liverpool to Ibiza and Bristol to Alicante. EasyJet's Paul Simmons said: 'We are always happy to help out disappointed Ryanair customers. 'We also fly to major airports, not random airfields miles from anywhere, which for many Ryanair passengers will be something of a revelation.'"

Ryanair chief Michael O'Leary wants passengers to carry all their bags to the plane

"Under the plan, passengers would drop all but one bag at the aircraft steps, possibly paying £5 per bag for each placed in the hold. 'What it means is no more waiting at the carousel, no more losing your bags, no more wasting your life in over-priced airport terminals,' Mr O'Leary said, believing he would need just one baggage handler per plane instead of five. Ryanair believes the move could save the airline €30m (£26m) a year. "Some time in the spring we will go to 100pc carry-on bags. You can bring unlimited bags as long as you can get them through security," Mr O'Leary said. "

Aircraft of SkyEurope held in Paris due to unpaid airport fee

"An aircraft of Slovak low-cost air carrier SkyEurope Holding AG was held at Paris - Orly Airport due to unpaid airport fee, Czech broadcaster Nova reported on June 23, 2009. SkyEurope's spokesman Tomas Kika confirmed that there are problems at Orli. According to him, the situation is caused by a "misunderstanding", which the Slovak company tries to correct."
Source: APA Economic News Service

Terrified tourists boycott Thomas Cook flight home after being told to sit at back 'to help balance the jet'

"When holidaymakers were asked to sit at the back of the plane to balance heavy luggage in the front of the hold, many thought it was a bad joke. But it was a serious request. One of the doors to the hold was jammed, meaning bags could be loaded only at one end, making the plane nose-heavy. However, the call for passengers to act as human ballast towards the tail provoked panic, and 71 refused to board."

Ryanair: Captain Dismissal UK

While Ryanair has denied the disciplinary proceedings are related to Capt John Goss' union activities. IAGblog released this inside document from Ryanair signed by Peter Bellew (Deputy director - Flight Operations): "A UK based Ryanair Captain was dismissed earlier today for gross misconduct. The Captain in question took it upon himself to routinely distribute union membership forms and actively encourage Cabin Crew during duty time and on the flight deck to join the T&G union. This is completely unacceptable behaviour for a Captain and in
my view a potentially serious safety issue."

Pilot seeks injunction against Ryanair

"A Ryanair pilot who has consistently advocated the rights of pilots has brought a legal challenge alleging “bad faith” and dishonesty by Ryanair in bringing more disciplinary proceedings against him. Capt John Goss, who four years ago settled an action against Ryanair, is seeking an injunction halting disciplinary proceedings against him. He claims Ryanair’s actions represent a threat to his employment on which he and his family are financially dependent. Capt Goss is a member of the Irish Association of Airline Pilots. Ryanair has denied the disciplinary proceedings are related to his union activities."

Dempsey: criticism a Ryanair shame

"Bungling Transport Minister Noel Dempsey has hit out at Ryanair after they accused him of being responsible for the collapsing tourism industry. Ryanair said the Government's decision to introduce the controversial airport travel tax last October was ruining tourism and costing the country millions of euro. Ryanair's Stephen McNamara said: "The Government's ridiculous EUR10 travel tax, plus the rise in airport charges, will ensure that Ireland is on course to lose over 2.5m passengers and 2,500 jobs in 2009 and continue to collapse into 2010." But Minister Dempsey has hit back at the airline accusing them of misleading passengers over flights."
Source: The Sunday Mirror

Job cuts at Ryanair

"Ryanair is preparing to shed up to 50 jobs but claims that 350 related jobs will go at Dublin Airport this winter as it reduces the number of planes based in Dublin and Shannon. The company claims 350 jobs will go at Dublin Airport as a result of the decision with another 300 job losses in Shannon. Ryanair is reducing the amount of planes it flies from Dublin from 17 to 16, while the Shannon fleet will be cut from four to three. This will result in Dublin losing 44 flights a week while Shannon will lose 36."

Ryanair halts growth in UK over tourist tax

"The collapse in UK air travel has seen Ryanair announce it is to scrap any plans for new services in and out of Britain. Announcing what it called a 'freeze on growth' at the nine UK airports from which it operates - headed by Stansted - Ryanair has blamed the fall in passenger numbers on Labour's £10-a-time, £2billion air-fare duty. 'Gordon Brown's £10 tourist tax will see Britain lose over 10 million passengers, 10,000 airport jobs and more than £2.5 billion in tourism spend in the UK this year alone,' said Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary."

SkyEurope files for creditor protection

"The Bratislava-based lowcost airline SkyEurope has successfuly filed for creditor protection in order to restructure according to company officials on Monday. SkyEurope files for creditor protection. The airline is looking to restructure its debt, in order to make it more attractive for potential investors. The low-cost airline will continue flying as planned during the creditor protection."

Shannon to seek €2m compensation from Ryanair over cut in services

"The Shannon Airport Authority (SAA) is expected to pursue Ryanair for financial compensation of more than €2 million for breaching the terms of a five-year sweetheart deal on airport passenger charges that is due to end next April. This follows Ryanair’s announcement last week that it is reducing its number of aircraft at Shannon this winter from four to three with the loss of 50 jobs and could close the base altogether next year. Ryanair said it expects to carry about 800,000 passengers at Shannon this year, down from 1.2 million in 2008 and well short of the 1.9 million target agreed with the SAA for the final year of the deal, which expires next April."

easyJet vs Estonian air on TLL - LON

"Tallinn to London is one of the few routes out of the Baltic States with more than one carrier left. British easyJet flies to Stansted with the biggest frequency and capacity share leaving Estonia’s flag carrier Estonian air - with just two weekly flights to Gatwick - last. In end of August Estonian air will reduce capacity even more by putting their fresh 90-seated CRJ900 on the route. Already in October Estonian air frequency will be doubled to 4 weekly and weekly seating capacity will reach 360."

SkyEurope Holding / Restructuring of the operating Slovak subsidiary, SkyEurope Airlines a.s.

"SkyEurope Holding AG announces that the competent Slovak court opens restructuring proceedings for SkyEurope Airlines a.s., its 100 % operating Slovak subsidiary. These restructuring proceedings will protect SkyEurope Airlines a.s. from its creditors and are similar to the US Chapter-11 proceedings. The findings in the restructuring opinion rendered by a trustee have been positive."

SkyEurope Holding / SkyEurope Holding AG publishes revised Q2 2009 Report

"Today SkyEurope Holding AG published its revised Q2 2009 financial report for the period ended 31 March 2009 integrated with the declaration pursuant to § 87 para 1 (3) Stock Exchange Act. The full report is available on the company homepage under 'investor relations'. http://www.skyeurope.com/en/about-us/investor-relations/f inancial-reports.aspx"

LCC stocks mixed: GOL jumps, easyJet up, Southwest and AirAsia steady, Ryanair down

"LCC stocks were mixed again on Friday (19-Jun-09). In the Asia Pacific region, Air Arabia’s shares were down 5.0%, while AirAsia remained stable and Virgin Blue reported a 1.5% gain. Virgin Blue over the weekend stated it was hoping a 5% capacity reduction by it and rival Qantas Group in FY2009-10 would assist the carriers’ to recover by mid-2010. Virgin Blue however conceded that it would be difficult to earn back the AUD60 million it ploughed into launching V Australia any time soon, due to the global financial downturn."

BA's 'value calculator' goes after Ryanair, easyJet

"If nothing else, British Airways certainly deserves credit for their latest attempt to fight back against its two main low-fare rivals, Ryanair and easyJet. The airline has launched a 'value calculator' on its website, which illustrates the various 'hidden' fees that have made the low-fare airlines famous. BA shows what Ryanair and easyJet charge for checking baggage and food and drink, among other costs, and then contrasts those with BA's 'no extra charge' column. You can check off as many boxes as you wish, and the total at the bottom of the columns update 'With British Airways,' the website says, 'the price you see is the price you pay.'"

Airlines add fees, and some fees on top of fees

"As if charging $15 to check a bag weren’t enough, two airlines are asking for $5 more beginning this summer if you pay at the check-in counter — a fee on top of a fee. Of course, you could always pay your baggage fee from home. The airlines call it the “online discount.” If airlines can get away with that, what’s next? Rather than raise fares in the middle of a recession, they’re piling on fees to make money — fees for bags, fees to get through the line faster, even fees for certain seats."

Ryanair, Michael O'Leary back to Rome tomorrow. What's news?

"A hard struggle on noise pollution at Ciampino airport is expected. The management of Ryanair are about to come to Rome for a press conference. At the moment, all the meetings with Michael O'Leary look like free advertisements instead of press conferences useful for the consumers. Yes, because when the Irish manager says that the study on noise pollution at Rome-Ciampino is false, it sounds like a joke, because it has been managed by ARPA (Italian agency for environment protection) on inspiration of the municipality of Ciampino, in accordance to Italian and European laws. This study - the only with official and legal value - unveils that aircraft at Ciampino airport are too noisy for local population over the legal limits with levels which might represent a damage for health. And then, where is the other (supposed?) study ordered by the Irish carrier, which claims that the noise pollution is within the legal limits?"

Blind passenger and the low cost airline

"A blind hungarian woman forget to tell WizzAir that she’s blind on time, so the low cost airline would take her and her guide only for price of 2tickets. Upon investigation, the low cost airline changed its policy. It’s somekind a fairytale story. A blind woman , whom wished to fly from Budapest to Rome, asked her brother for help to book ticket over the net. And noticed her disability only a week before departure. Than WizzAir wanted to charge them two tickets."

Ryanair workers face jobs axe

"Around 100 Ryanair workers are set to lose their jobs after the airline announced cuts to its winter services from Shannon and Dublin airports yesterday. The no-frills airline said two planes would be removed from its 21-strong fleet here, resulting in the loss of 100 Ryanair jobs and a further 550 airport posts. CEO Michael O'Leary blamed the €10 airport tax for 'devastating' Irish tourism after one million fewer passengers went through Dublin Airport so far this year compared to the same period in 2008."

Ryanair says to cut 650 more jobs in Ireland

"Irish low-cost airline Ryanair on Wednesday said it would cut 650 more jobs in Ireland, blaming the move on government hikes in taxes amid a deep recession in the eurozone member nation. 'Ryanair, Ireland's largest airline, today announced cuts in its winter based aircraft, flights and jobs at Dublin and Shannon Airports as the government's 10 euro (8.5 pound) tourist tax continues to devastate Irish traffic and tourism,' the carrier said in a statement. 'In the first five months of 2009, traffic at Dublin Airport has fallen by 11 percent, a loss of one million passengers in just five months,' it added. 'If this traffic collapse continues for the full year it will mean the loss of 2.5 million passengers, 2,500 jobs at Dublin Airport and 750 million euros of tourism spend in the Irish economy in 2009.'"

Ryanair Gets In A Tangle With Webonly Checkin

"Budget airline Ryanair faced criticism for its internet check-in service after announcing yesterday that its website would be closed for essential maintenance for 10 hours next week. The Irish no-frills operators last month became the first airline to move to a web-only check-in service which imposes £40 surcharge on any passengers who turn for a flight without having printed off their boarding passes at home. It asked passengers travelling next Thursday to ensure that they had checked in before 6pm the night before as its website would close between 7pm on Wednesday, June 25 until 5am the following morning."

Ryanair Royally Screwed Over Spanish Queen Advert

"Irish budget carrier Ryanair has found itself in hot water again over its unauthorised usage of a leading public figure in its adverts. The airline, famous for its no-frills service and very cheap fares, drew a stern rebuke from officials representing the Spanish Royal Family this week. Ryanair used an unauthorised photgraph of Queen Sofia, who hit the headlines last week when she took one of Ryanair’s cheap flights to London from Santander in the north of the country."

Ryanair website to close for maintenance

"Ryanair said its website www.ryanair.com will close for ten hours from 7pm on Wednesday June 24 until 5am on Thursday June 25 due to an essential upgrade maintenance. Ryanair said it was sorry for any inconvenience caused by the maintenance work. In order to avoid any inconvenience, Ryanair says that its web check-in passengers travelling on June 25 must ensure that they have checked in online before 6pm on June 24."

Ryanair costs more than British Airways

"The price may look cheap but with hidden baggage charges and other fees, budget airline flights can end up costing far more than you bargained for! Alison Hunt compares the price of a flight to Venice on Ryanair and British Airways. With the credit crunch taking its toll we're all taking our finances more seriously and trying to get the best value for money that we can. Which is why the recently advertised £1 flights have been so exciting. After all, how brilliant would it to be to fly to foreign shores for just a humble quid? Or is this too good to be true? Can airlines really afford to let us fly so cheaply or do they simply make their money back in sneaky charges elsewhere?"

O'Leary cashes in as Ryanair shares take off

"Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary has pocketed more than £16m from the sale of a stake in the low-cost airline. He sold 5m shares, at $3.75 each, for $18.75m (£16.29m) and still owns 60m shares, or 4% of the business. Their value has risen from $2.80 in March and $2 last October."
Source: The Sunday Times

Airbus Says Not Negotiating With Ryanair

"European aircraft maker Airbus, a subsidiary of European Aeronautic Defense & Space Company, says it isn't in negotiations with Ireland's Ryanair over the delivery of new aircraft."

Speculating On The Ryanair Order

"Ryanair is getting a lot of interest in its potential order for up to 300 Aircraft. Most people poo poo Michael O'Leary as a crank. He frequently floats ideas just for effect. 1 Pound Toilets anyone? This time however we think he is in deadly earnest and no one can afford to ignore him. In a year when the NET airline bookings for both Airbus and Boeing have JUST cracked double figures, these sort of numbers are astronomical and terribly important to the stock of both companies. (EADS and Boeing)."

Airline’s petty £80 charge for family of ill four-year-old

"A doctor in one of England’s leading children’s hospitals said he is “appalled” at the conduct of Ryanair representatives towards a Fermanagh family, who travelled with the airline, to discuss the possibility of a bone-marrow transplant for their terminally-ill son."

Ryanair captain flew unstable approach days after son's death

"Investigators believe a newly bereaved Ryanair captain's psychological state, combined with his co-pilot's inexperience, led to an unplanned and highly unstable approach to Rome during poor weather conditions."

Stansted airport traffic slumps

"BAA saw passenger numbers fall 7.3pc last month after the recession impacted North Atlantic traffic and airlines slashed capacity at Stansted. The company, which operates seven UK airports, said demand remained weak after monthly figures showed it handled 11.8 million passengers in May. Heathrow recorded a smaller drop of 3.9pc on a year earlier as BAA said the airport demonstrated its “resilience” and importance as an international hub. Gatwick improved on recent trends with a decrease of 6.5pc but traffic at Stansted slumped by 18.5pc as BAA said some airlines continued to reduce schedules in response to the economic downturn."