WINDJET Situation (Sicilian Low Cost Carrier)
Aug 10th, 2012, 06:19 AM
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WINDJET Situation (Sicilian Low Cost Carrier)
For prospective travellers who are not aware of the situation concerning the financially illiquid Sicilian low-cost carrier WINDJET, which has yet to finalize a deal to be acquired by Alitalia, Italian media reports today that all four flights operating out of Rome Fiumicino Airport have been cancelled, and passengers transferred to Alitalia flights.
Apparently, there remains an open issue concerning the documentation of aircraft maintenance which is holding up the merger with Alitalia. The book value of the 12 jets which would be taken over by Alitalia depends on their maintenance schedule and the dates of the most recent maintenance work (which information has reportedly been withheld from Alitalia).
Pending a resolution of the situation, prospective passengers are advised to be very cautious about booking seats on Windjet, and passengers holding seats on Windjet flights should try to contact the carrier for current information. (Good luck!!!).
http://www.corriere.it/economia/12_a...4664744d.shtml
Apparently, there remains an open issue concerning the documentation of aircraft maintenance which is holding up the merger with Alitalia. The book value of the 12 jets which would be taken over by Alitalia depends on their maintenance schedule and the dates of the most recent maintenance work (which information has reportedly been withheld from Alitalia).
Pending a resolution of the situation, prospective passengers are advised to be very cautious about booking seats on Windjet, and passengers holding seats on Windjet flights should try to contact the carrier for current information. (Good luck!!!).
http://www.corriere.it/economia/12_a...4664744d.shtml
Aug 10th, 2012, 09:37 AM
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UPDATE:
Windjet representatives have failed to show at a second meeting called by the Italian Civil Aviation Authority, to determine airworthiness and safety measures. The Aviation Authority is now talking about revoking Windjet's license as early as Monday.
Passengers are scurring around to find space on Alitalia flights to Sicily, and some are even planning to travel to Civitavecchia to take the overnight ferry to Palermo. Others have strongly criticized the company for not stopping to sell tickets online, even as its financial situation has continued to deteriorate rapidly.
Windjet's call center and administrative headquarters reportedly is not answering the phone .....
http://roma.repubblica.it/cronaca/20...5/?ref=HREC1-2
http://www.corriere.it/economia/12_a...4664744d.shtml
Windjet representatives have failed to show at a second meeting called by the Italian Civil Aviation Authority, to determine airworthiness and safety measures. The Aviation Authority is now talking about revoking Windjet's license as early as Monday.
Passengers are scurring around to find space on Alitalia flights to Sicily, and some are even planning to travel to Civitavecchia to take the overnight ferry to Palermo. Others have strongly criticized the company for not stopping to sell tickets online, even as its financial situation has continued to deteriorate rapidly.
Windjet's call center and administrative headquarters reportedly is not answering the phone .....
http://roma.repubblica.it/cronaca/20...5/?ref=HREC1-2
http://www.corriere.it/economia/12_a...4664744d.shtml
Aug 10th, 2012, 12:34 PM
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UPDATE:
Italian media reports that the Alitalia negotiations to acquire Windjet have broken down definitively.
Windjet will likely stop flying on Monday, if not sooner.
The Windjet website is no longer selling tickets for future travel.
Carriers remaining:
Rome/Palermo: Alitalia, Blu-Express, Easy Jet
Rome/Catania: Alitalia, Blu-Express
Rome/Trapani: Ryanair(Ciampino), Alitalia (Fiumicino)
http://www.repubblica.it/economia/fi...-40728457/?rss
Italian media reports that the Alitalia negotiations to acquire Windjet have broken down definitively.
Windjet will likely stop flying on Monday, if not sooner.
The Windjet website is no longer selling tickets for future travel.
Carriers remaining:
Rome/Palermo: Alitalia, Blu-Express, Easy Jet
Rome/Catania: Alitalia, Blu-Express
Rome/Trapani: Ryanair(Ciampino), Alitalia (Fiumicino)
http://www.repubblica.it/economia/fi...-40728457/?rss
Aug 11th, 2012, 05:18 AM
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UPDATE:
According to this news report, there are 300,000 WINDJET passengers holding booked seats through the end of October. The head of the Italian Civil Aviation Authority has declared that they will all be "protected" by other carriers (and most significantly, by Alitalia), even though they will likely be required to pay a "small supplement". (In Italian: "seppur con un piccolo supplemento").
In the meantime, the head of the Authority made a statement which is certain to create controversy: he placed part of the blame for WINDJET's demise on Alitalia (for having dragged out merger negotiations, accusations which Alitalia promptly denied), and also on "Irish and British low cost operators" who have been brow beating Italian counterparts!!! Heard that argument before?
http://www.repubblica.it/cronaca/201...13/?ref=HREA-1
According to this news report, there are 300,000 WINDJET passengers holding booked seats through the end of October. The head of the Italian Civil Aviation Authority has declared that they will all be "protected" by other carriers (and most significantly, by Alitalia), even though they will likely be required to pay a "small supplement". (In Italian: "seppur con un piccolo supplemento").
In the meantime, the head of the Authority made a statement which is certain to create controversy: he placed part of the blame for WINDJET's demise on Alitalia (for having dragged out merger negotiations, accusations which Alitalia promptly denied), and also on "Irish and British low cost operators" who have been brow beating Italian counterparts!!! Heard that argument before?
http://www.repubblica.it/cronaca/201...13/?ref=HREA-1
Aug 11th, 2012, 10:37 AM
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Um - how does an airline "browbeat" a competitor. Isn't that the point of low-cost airlines - competition.
It sounds as if windjet was not only operating in a financially unstable way - but wasn't even doing proper maintenance. Sounds like management should be headed to the hoosegow.
And what ever happened to the captain who ran his ship aground? Is he facing manslaughter charges?
It sounds as if windjet was not only operating in a financially unstable way - but wasn't even doing proper maintenance. Sounds like management should be headed to the hoosegow.
And what ever happened to the captain who ran his ship aground? Is he facing manslaughter charges?
Aug 11th, 2012, 05:26 PM
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Windjet has shut down all operations, effective midnight Saturday August 11. No money to pay for aviation fuel, and no credit extended.
Alitalia, Meridiana, Blue Panorama and two other carriers are "protecting" passengers booked on Windjet flights, although for a "small supplement" of up to 80 Euros per flight! Not so "small" after all!!
Windjet becomes the 12th Italian air carrier to go belly up in the past 10 years, according to media reports.
Alitalia, Meridiana, Blue Panorama and two other carriers are "protecting" passengers booked on Windjet flights, although for a "small supplement" of up to 80 Euros per flight! Not so "small" after all!!
Windjet becomes the 12th Italian air carrier to go belly up in the past 10 years, according to media reports.
