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Another thread about our succesful airline-company Sabena. Today they are publishing their new budgets, or better said, savings. 1500 people will lose jobs. I guess it’s over for our beloved Sabena is federal government is not so anxious to put new money in a company without getting profits (which is ofcourse a normal thing). They cancelled an order for 19 new airbusses (including 3 big A-340’s), airbus announced at Le Bourget.
Do we have to make a european airline out of Sabena with only limited continental destinations?? I guess not, because that would also mean the end for Sabena. The best thing they can do is sell it to some interrested airline-company (please not KLM, please !!!) …
Geforce – “Always remember: the aircraft you are flying is most probably built by the lowest bidder.”
By: rdc1000 - 10th December 2001 at 17:25
RE: Is this the end, my …
I apologise for bringing topics back up, but being new on here I found that there were many things that I had comments for. Also as aviation is dynamic then we cannot discard comments…at certain times there is need for an update..and Sabena going out of business is one of those.
Richard
By: Rabie - 8th December 2001 at 11:20
RE: Is this the end, my …
don’t worry about people bringing up old topics – maybee he was on holdiay and was commenting on topics he missed. don’t worry about it were just talking about aviation – ok?
rabie :9
By: andrewm - 8th December 2001 at 11:00
RE: Is this the end, my …
rdc1000
Why did u bring this topic back up?
ANdrew M
By: rdc1000 - 6th December 2001 at 11:19
RE: Is this the end, my
It’s not about which airlines are good and which are bad. I have nothing against Sabena’s service, but as a business case it’s lunacy to continue airlines that aren’t making ANY money. Before long we will see major consolidation in Europe, just as we did in America in the 70’s and then again in the 80’s and most recently with the AA/TWA deal. It’s al worked out for the best there.
I honestly feel for the staff from Sabena, it’s a harsh finish, but it’s not the first airline to go bust. I hope that DAT Plus and Virgin Express will be able to give jobs to these people.
I’m also sorry if I offended anyone, but I just look at things from a business perspective, not a “favourite airline” perspective.
By: Comet - 6th December 2001 at 09:35
RE: Is this the end, my
Would you like to go on the Sabena staff forum and tell all those people who have just lost their jobs “good riddance” to Sabena????
Have you ever even FLOWN with Sabena??? Along with Geforce I am the most pro-Sabena person on this forum. If you want a BAD airline experience, try Air New Zealand.
By: rdc1000 - 4th December 2001 at 21:44
RE: Is this the end, my
For whoever said it….BA certainly does not have the biggest fleet in the world..infact it is about a 3rd the size of the large American companies (ie Delta, United and AA to name a few). BA’s fleet stood (before fleet reductions) at around 230 aircraft.
As for Sabena…well I’m affraid to say it but Good Ridance. How can people get so emotional about an airline that has only made a profit for 2 years (I think it was) of it’s entire existance! Sabena would have died even before the events of september 11th. As for Swissair, now this is an airline that carried out a mad business strategy which has also been their downfall (not just in the purchase of Sabena, but many other airlines..and in small quantities). Swissair’s decision to buy Sabena was probably a good thing for SN really as their government wouldn’t be allowed to bail SN out forever so Swissair tried to turn it around.
Richard
By: Bhoy - 5th July 2001 at 00:15
RE: What’s SR doing now?
LAST EDITED ON 05-07-01 AT 00:18 AM (GMT)[p]ok, managed to find a bit more info
[link:dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20010704/bs/sabena_swissair_3.html|here]…
It sounds like something’s messed up big time with these two companies…
By: Bhoy - 5th July 2001 at 00:03
What’s SR doing now?
I heard something on the radio today that Swissair are diverting all their flights bound for Belgium to Maastricht, apparently in retaliation for SN employees not letting an SR flight leave Brussels last week.
The Deatils were hazy, anyone got any other info?
By: Geforce - 3rd July 2001 at 13:24
begov is going to sue SR
Yeah right no money, the only one who does not have the money is sabena itself. Sunday at rock-werchter – not far from brussels international – i noticed their airplanes were the only ones flying so low, coz they lack the funds to maitain a hight of 30000 feet 🙂
Belgian government decided to stop negotiating with sr and sue them, best they can do
Citybird, also a belgian airlinecom. is also in huge debts
Poor belgian economy
SR MUST FRY
Geforce – “Teamwork is essential. It gives the enemy other people to shoot at.”
By: jumbolinoguy - 29th June 2001 at 16:32
RE: Is this the end, my only friend, the end???
The last I heard which was yesterday is that SR can no longer afford to invest in Sabena due to the huge huge huge debt they are in and if they continue to do so then SR will be forced into bankrupcy. Pity they have awful uniforms
By: frankvw - 28th June 2001 at 12:09
RE: Swissair is the bad guy.
Maybe there is still a little hope for Sabena…
Frank
By: Geforce - 24th June 2001 at 20:15
RE: Swissair is the bad guy.
Swissair actually hates Sabena. They are maltreathing our airline for example the flight between Brussels and Joburg does not exist anymore because Swissair worked together with SAA, and there was no place for sabena anymore
If sabena is in the problems right now, that’s because of SR. They should be punished for this!
Geforce – “Teamwork is essential. It gives the enemy other people to shoot at.”
By: Geforce - 22nd June 2001 at 18:05
Swissair is the bad guy.
LAST EDITED ON 22-06-01 AT 06:08 PM (GMT)[p]Don’t forget Swissair knew what they were beginning at when they bought the shares recently. The company is already losing profits since 20 years but SR though It could change this situation. The couldn’t, but know they have to be fair, and stop wining about sabena being the cause of their own problems. Same with Air Liberté, also ownded by Swissair.
And Swissair planes look ugly compared to sabena’s blue scheme
Geforce – “Always remember: the aircraft you are flying is most probably built by the lowest bidder.”
By: frankvw - 21st June 2001 at 22:33
RE: Em…
Yes my friend, it’s only a question of politics.. Really sad, because it threatens thousands of employees and their families
Frank
By: V1 - 21st June 2001 at 22:14
RE: Em…
Well, I wish I had the answers to the Sabena situation. If they do go under, then the whole thing stinks. When politics are involved, it all gets very messy. I would rather see Swissair go under personally.
By: frankvw - 21st June 2001 at 21:45
Em…
Grr.. I would prefeer blue planes, not there awful red ones!
Frank
By: Wingflaps - 21st June 2001 at 21:35
RE: I guess this is the end
I can understand Swissair not wanting to invest more money in Sabena. Why would anyone in their right mind give money to something with little future, when they have money problems of their own?! The Belgian government will only be allowed to invest further state aid in Sabena if a private commercial partner invests their own money too. Besides, I don’t think Belgium should be allowed to invest further state aid. It is anti-competitive. For example, Air France, Iberia and Alitalia all continued to receive government money, when the likes of BA and Lufthansa have to stand on their own two feet and fight for their own survival. If Sabena is destined to fail, then it should be allowed to go bankrupt. They have a small home market and are very expensive compared to many of their competitors.
If there is a choice between Swissair and Sabena surviving, I’d rather see Swissair in the skies any day.
😮
By: Geforce - 21st June 2001 at 18:12
I guess this is the end
The European Union has forbidden Belgium to invest again in Sabena, and SR announced that it will not buy the 40 % stocks of the government (of which they already had an agreement), hell theyr’re not even investing in the shares they have at this particularry moment.
What is the EU doing?? There is one airliner too much in Europe, and they rather see Sabena closing doors than Swissair.
Geforce – “Always remember: the aircraft you are flying is most probably built by the lowest bidder.”
By: Geforce - 20th June 2001 at 18:23
RE: Is this the end, my only friend, the end???
Ooh, a women who loves belgian beer and is an aviation freak! Don’t see that much !
Well, Sabena will still be flying in the month september. If they are going bankrupt, than i guess it won’t be within the next year, as they still have a lot of comitments with other airliners like Citybird (who operate MD-11’s for Sabena). They’ll probably ask the judge to wait untill they found a new partner. Also, Belgian government will give the money when necessairy (SR has own problems), but now they are wining because they have other financial problems and they don’t want the public to know in what kind of mess they are envolved right now (depts, about 250 billion dollar). So they’ll wait untill the last moment, but they will give it anyway.
Minister for state companies R. Daems announced that he’s willing to invest in Sabena, if there’s still a future.
The problem is, what will they do with the SR-group?
Maybe SR is willing to sell all its stock back to the government, but that’s unlikely to happen.
Making a continental airline out of sabena maybe is the best option, but what are they going to do with all their new A-330’s, A-340’s, MD-11’s, A-320’s 🙁
sabena also operates its own food-service, hotels, carparks etc?? What will happen with them?
Geforce – “Always remember: the aircraft you are flying is most probably built by the lowest bidder.”
By: Comet - 20th June 2001 at 13:11
RE: Is this the end, my only friend, the end???
I will be DEVASTATED if my beloved SABENA go under (not least because I am due to fly with them in September). I will not fly to Belgium with any other airline, or indeed use the ferry or Eurostar. In my experience this wonderful airline is incomparable, and I hope they are not taken over by BA or KLM. I cannot think why so many people criticise them, I have flown on far worse (Icelandair and Air New Zealand to name two). At least their cabin crew are human and down to earth.
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June 18, 2001 at 7:23 pm