Showing posts with label Air France. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Air France. Show all posts

Friday, September 16, 2011

See Me Fly Before I Have Fallen From the Sky

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Here is a riddle for you. What is silver and blue with a red, green, and white stripe that is currently flying, but may not be for much longer? Give up? Here is a hint.


Yes, the Hungarian national airline may be permanently grounded in the near future. As it turns out, the European Union is imposing fines on the national airline for selling its soul to the 'wrong' investors just to keep the airline afloat. 


Apparently, the government from which the airline calls home, is the wrong investor. The EU is fining Malév for receiving state support totaling Ft 100 billion (€355 million) to keep it afloat. Well, technically it should be keeping it airborne, but with the losses Malév have stacked up, losses of Ft 25 billion last year and expected to end this year in the red with Ft 8-10 billion, it is drowning in debt. Afloat is the better choice of words in this instance. 


The real shame of it all is that each and every time we have flown Malév, we have been pleased with the service. I have never heard a non-Hungarian ever complain about the airline. Not that I have heard Hungarians complain, but since they are still telling me how awful the Budapest public transportation system is, they cannot be trusted to judge any form of people movers. 


Believe me, we have heard enough airline complaints to fill an encyclopedia. The largest entry would be under Air France. Now there is a dismal excuse for a national airline. Malév, there are a few of us rooting for you!
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Monday, June 01, 2009

The Sky is Shrinking

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More mergers + possibly more options = higher airfares? Well, perhaps not more options as these mergers may produce a tighter schedule. This is the latest news on airline consolidation wishes. Posted here are snippets of the full article on of all places China Daily athttp://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2009-06/01/content_7958949.htm Lufthansa's next targets are Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines.

The German carrier made a public offer to purchase the stock held by all free-float shareholders of Austrian Airlines AG in February. More than 85 percent of the shareholders of Austrian Airlines had accepted the offer by last month.

Lufthansa also plans to take a 45 percent stake in Brussels Airlines, which may later be increased to 100 percent.

Lufthansa's major European rivals such as Air France-KLM and British Airways have also showed great interest in consolidation.

Air France-KLM, Europe's largest airline by revenue, finalized a deal on May 20 with Delta to operate as one airline over the North Atlantic. Air France and KLM merged in 2004 and Delta bought Northwest Airlines last year, which paved the way for a four-way partnership. The pact between the two largest airlines on each side of the ocean involved sharing revenues and costs on more than 200 trans-Atlantic flights.

Air France-KLM completed its purchase of a 25 percent stake in Alitalia earlier this year. It has also submitted a non-binding offer for Czech Airlines, while British Airways said last year that it planned to merge with Iberia, the Spanish flag carrier.

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