Passenger wrote: ↑29 Oct 2017, 17:37
DannyVDB wrote: ↑29 Oct 2017, 16:33
Maybe, but delivery of the AOC might just be delayed because there is no clear financial guarantee things will work out (no sound business plan). How many airlines did start in the past without appropriate funding ... At the end it is the tax payer and pax that will have to pay if things go wrong.
I'm quite sure that they had a very solid business plan when they started, back in February 2016. They had the brains (with Niki Terzakis) and they had overseas investors. But seriously: it's very abnormal that the CAA needs almost two years to give them their AOC.
DannyVDB wrote: ↑29 Oct 2017, 16:33
Maybe Airbus only wanted (rightfully) to sign an agreement when there were real guarantees and no 'vague' promises and to be honest I don't like the 'hold-me-or-I-do-somthing bahaviour': claims and big plans are easy to shout about, but real operational/commercial/... set-up of an airline is another matter.
There is no problem with Airbus. It's brought now in that newspaper article, as kind of excuse not to blame only the Belgian CAA.
You should know that this FODs (federal agencies) and similar "units" are run like little kingdoms.
The so-called "Top ambtenaren" and (part of ) their administration are acting like little masters of the universe.
In the same newspaper where I found the article about Air Belgium, (de Tijd), there is an article with title "Van Overtveldt fluit fiscus terug .." On page 4 of the same Newspaper you can read that the Administration of this Minister is going there own way about interpreting some (fiscal) laws.
Same or similar situation with the Immigration and Airport Police (via their Unions).
Same or similar situation with Belgian CAA.
little states within the state.
Ministers have (almost) no influence and are not followed by their own administration.
I hope AB will start soon, and succeed.
But the long, long waiting time is really exaggerated.
MR. Terzakis is really a gentleman and very patient.
If he fails, I hope one day we will know about what happpened and who / why / ... there was such a big obstruction to a beautiful project.