Sadly it seems this is destined to go to the scrap merchants…
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Cairns aircraft dispute takes legal twist
Grace Mason, The Cairns Post
September 21, 2016 5:00amA DISPUTE over a historic plane left parked at the Cairns Airport for several years is set to land in court.
The airport has lodged documents in the Cairns Supreme Court calling for the Sydney-based company, which owns the white Short Belfast cargo plane, to be wound up and for it to pay more than $100,000 in outstanding rental fees.
The application filed last week shows the airport’s solicitor wrote to the owner, Flying Tiger Oversize Cargo, in early August and issued a statutory demand warning they had 21 days to pay the debt.
“A failure to respond to a statutory demand can have very serious consequences for a company,” the letter said. “It may result in the company being placed in liquidation and control of the company passing to the liquidator …”
The Cairns Post revealed in July the plane, nicknamed “Hector” by airport workers, has been the subject of an ongoing dispute between the airport, Flying Tiger and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and has been parked at the airport about four years.
It is “unregistered, uncertified and unairworthy”, according to CASA spokesman Peter Gibson, who said a notice had been issued to prevent it from flying until it passes testing.
The huge aircraft is regarded as the last of its kind in the world and aviation experts have said it would be nearly impossible to source spare parts or sell in its current state.
But the airport wants Hector gone and a letter penned by their solicitor to Flying Tiger warns they may be also seeking further compensation.
“Please note that in addition to the amount claimed in the demand, my client has suffered damages on account of the aircraft being left on its apron,” the letter said.
“ … my client intends to recover these from you.”
Attempts to contact Flying Tiger Cargo were unsuccessful.
The application is due to be heard in the Cairns Supreme Court on October 21.
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September 21, 2016 at 11:09 pm