Planes blocked in Malta as Windjet ceases operations
Lufthansa Technik Malta is closely following developments following the floundering of Sicilian low-cost airline, Windjet, which has seven of its aircraft here for maintenance.
Civil aviation industry sources said the maintenance on the aircraft depended on whether the airline could pay. A meeting tomorrow between the doomed airline and Italy’s national carrier, Alitalia, to discuss a possible merger, could prove to be crucial.
According to plane spotters, two Airbus A320s arrived in Malta from Pisa and Rimini on Saturday and the other five planes, including two Airbus A319s, were parked inside Lufthansa Technik’s hangar in Luqa.
Efforts to speak to Lufthansa Technik Malta executives who could shed more light on the situation proved unsuccessful.
Thousands of passengers were stranded over the weekend as the Sicilian low-cost carrier stopped operations after the first round of talks with Alitalia failed.
The airline, which employed about 500 full-timers and several part-timers, was based in Passo Martino, Catania. It was founded in 2003 following the closing down of Air Sicilia.
Its chief executive, Antonino Pulvirenti, owns the Catania football club.
Alitalia had said in January that it would start negotiations to merge with Windjet and another Italian airline, Blue Panorama. In April, Alitalia chose to continue negotiations with Windjet, for which it was ready to offer between €20 and €30 million.
The Italian authorities gave their green light to the venture but also asked Alitalia to give up slots in some key domestic routes. This was unacceptable for Alitalia, which then abandoned its plans to merge with Windjet.
The low-cost carrier suddenly suspended all its operations on Saturday, leaving thousands of people stranded at various airports, forcing the Italian civil aviation authority, Enac, to warn that it would suspend its licence.
The suspension of operations affected at least 300,000 people, who had booked flights with the company up to October.
Italy’s Economic Development Minister has called both airlines to a meeting in Rome tomorrow to try to reach a last-ditch deal.
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David Bruton
Aug 15th 2012, 04:04
Regarding my last post I believe one of the pictures shows a Windjet plane with a registration of EI-??? which makes it likely the property of an Irish registered company (Itlian registered aircraft are registered "I-????".
Several international aircraft leasing companies are based out of the Republic of Ireland (Eire).
For those that can spot the aircraft registrations at the LH Tek apron you will probably be able to see some of the following aircraft: (If they are not there they may be soon!!!!)
EI-DVU
EI-DVD
EI-ECX
EI-ECY
EI-ESG
EI-DOE
EI-DFN
EI-DFO
EI-DOP
EI-DNP
All are Airbus Model A319 or A320 and information source www.airfleets.net
David Bruton
Aug 15th 2012, 03:25
the arrival of 7 aircraft has very little to do with "maintenance". They are "assets" that belong to somone. Either someone, possibly a bank or leasing company, ordered the airline's management to fly them to Malta to protect them from Italian company "Administration" and or Bankruptcy laws or rather more unlikely is that they are assets directly of the Airline or its beneficial owners.
It is common for lawyers acting on behalf of banks/leasing companies/airports to seize assets (airliners) in "port" often as a bargaining tool to get debts paid.
It is always sad when an airline reaches a point when it ceases operations and particularly during the holiday season but is better for them to cease operations before they start cutting corners on your safety!
Bailing airlines out with government money does not lead to anything good and frequently fails long term.
The way to profitable and sustainable airlines is for them to have a highly utilised fleet (plenty of hours in the air each day), high load factors and a low cost base. You may not like Air Malta to become a Ryanair or Easyjet but do you want to continue to pay "Flag Carrier" fares every time you want to go shopping in London, Paris or Milan. For 800EUR we brits can get to the USA and back.
And one final comment...... I rather like the new modern Air Malta livery!!!!!!! (Speaking as a Brit, albeit one born on your lovely island)
A. Mifsud
Aug 13th 2012, 19:29
Lufthansa Technik should'nt be astonished at the news. When they accepted to have such an abnormal quantities of aircraft for maintenance, at once- they must have realized something was fishy!
Windjets' fleet is made up of only 12 aircraft, so having 7 flown own for maintenance isn't operationally viable. They knew their facts right. Or will LH be first in line to gobble up the airline now that Alitalia talks are more likely to fail?
Charles Vella
Aug 13th 2012, 15:28
I'm glad to see this! It was only 2 years ago when the Volcano in Iceland erupted, and was stuck at Luton Airport because my Ryainair flight was cancelled because of the volcano! Who travelled with Air Malta, got ALL their money back...
The flight, with 20KG baggage allowance, priority boarding, online checking and the addons which make the airline richer, cost me a total of 285 Euro! ...all I got back was 11 Euro... As that is the cost of my flight!
What a rip off!! Beware when using Ryainair, if they decide to cancel the flight because it's not full, you only get the price for your seat! NOTHING ELSE!!!
GL Calleja
Aug 13th 2012, 17:22
Mr Vella I just checked a couple of fares on Air Malta. Here are the results.
MLA to LHR FLT 100 28 Aug Flex fare 360.00 Euros
LHR to MLA FLT 101 13 Sept Flex fare 360.00 Euros
Booking Online charge 10.00 Euros
Total for the round trip 795.00 Euros.
Originating in LHR on the same dates same flights the total cost is 521.00 Euros. Why not try and compare with the low cost airlines. And why the higher fare when originating in Malta? Is that why they call it the National Airline? Fleece the locals???
M. Bezzina
Aug 13th 2012, 17:32
I'm always satisfied when flying with Ryanair or easyjet.....AirMalta needs to review its prices if she wants to compete and yes if the prices are attractive I fly with them.I don't need food in front of me during the flight a cup of coffee will do ok ...
GL Calleja
Aug 13th 2012, 14:41
Could Air Malta aka Malta merge with the money strapped Windjet Airline? After all they are getting almost 200,000,000 Million euros to bail out the airline. So spending say 40,000,000 Million euros of that money to bid for Windjet is not farfetched?
Lawrence Fenech
Aug 13th 2012, 13:52
If we do not do the necessary good work and and the proper economy on our national airline Airmalta and avoid these fantasy wages we shall had for the same ending. Especially now with the "Carnival" paintwork on our planes which has downgraded the look of our airplanes.
C Cassar
Aug 13th 2012, 16:15
No it hasn't, it's enhanced the brand significantly from an old, tired image for retired Brits to one that is modern, vibrant and continental European, which Malta now is.
GL Calleja
Aug 13th 2012, 17:32
What is your agenda Mr Cassar? I like change just as any other. But I do not agree with dropping the Air from Air Malta on the fuselage of the aircraft.. How does this sound to you? I am flying on Malta today ! And how do you explain the six pointed Maltese Cross showing on the tail of the Malta aircraft. Get real Mr Cassar. And if you want to compare fares why not check the fare from Malta to London Heathrow round trip.? Surprise.
Richard Brown
Aug 13th 2012, 13:21
Am keen to understand why seven aircraft were here for maintenance at this time. It is an unusually high amount for an airline of this size. Almost appears to have been a deliberate ploy to keep them off Italian soil when the airline folded!
M Sciberras
Aug 13th 2012, 19:04
Congrats! You posted the only intelligent comment regarding this news story!!! No sarcasm intended!
C Cassar
Aug 13th 2012, 11:27
This will happen to many more low cost airlines over the next 3 years, including some of the more well known names.
Mr Stephen Borg
Aug 13th 2012, 13:15
Maybe you should appriciate that the current trend is low cost. Companies tha seize operations do so because of poor managment practices. If low cost airlines go bust most of the tourisim sector will follow because passengers want to travel cheap
C Cassar
Aug 13th 2012, 16:13
Everyone can travel at very good vale with 'normal' airlines and by that I mean the flag carriers. Just booked a 1 way from London to Munich on Lufthansa for £59 all inclusive. The problem is that so many fall for the marketing that they assume the 'low cost' are low cost when most of the time they are more expensive unless you book weeks or months in advance.
Anthony Agius
Aug 13th 2012, 11:23
Alitalia refused to give up slots as requested by italian civil avaiation. Alitalia has balls! It was also facing financial difficulties not so long ago, it is now in a position to expand! What alitalia did not do was rebrand, repaint etc. alitalia capitalised on the value of its colours and the pride of being a national flag carrier!
C Cassar
Aug 13th 2012, 13:26
Alitalia is still losing alot of money. It's mistake was NOT to rebrand. Air Malta has done exactly the right thing and now we will have a fresh airline that appeals to a much wider audience across continental Europe, where it's tru market is. The existing airline has a tired image stuck in the past and only attracts the elderly British when it gets any praise. Malta has moved on in Europe, so should the airline.
E Schembri
Aug 13th 2012, 13:31
Well said!
G Schembri
Aug 13th 2012, 13:53
Very well said.
GL Calleja
Aug 13th 2012, 14:34
Which one said it well? Passengers couldn't care less about the new livery on "Malta" run by Mr Farrugia and Mr Davies. Passengers want safety, lower fares and decent meals on board. By the way the new Maltese Cross on the tail of "Malta aircraft " seem to be missing 2 of the eight points. It does not fully display the FULL Maltese Cross which is somewhat demeaning for us Maltese.
Lawrence Fenech
Aug 13th 2012, 16:28
@GL.
I fully agree with you.
Reginald Borg
Aug 13th 2012, 10:42
QUOTE:
The suspension of operations affected at least 300,000 people, who had booked flights with the company up to October.
COMMENT: According to RAI NEWS: 340,000 stranded.
Is there an economic crisis in Italy?
God only knows.
Deo Catania
Aug 13th 2012, 11:02
And your argument is? Pls explain because if it is as it looks it is then you're hopeless. 340,000 is less than Malta's population and you're speaking about Italy. Time for some Geography lessons.
Sarah Grech (Zebbug)
Aug 13th 2012, 11:12
Yes, there is.
We are not talking 340,000 out of 450,000 but out of millions.
An economic crisis does not necessarily effect each and every citizen of that country.
Mr Mike Farrugia
Aug 13th 2012, 09:59
Why doesn't AirMalta tap into some of their routes?
Mario Micallef
Aug 13th 2012, 11:02
First you should see if with the current fleet this is possible...I DON'T think so...
J. Scicluna
Aug 13th 2012, 12:25
PLEASE! Don't even go there! THAT is precisely how Air Malta got nailed with the Azzurra project that had a number of Italian Domestic flights.
Secondly, Air Malta cannot develop new routes within the EU as long as it is being restructured; that was one of the conditions laid down for the "bail-out".
Please choose the reason of your report below: