Klasjet Airline Crews Arrest Becomes a Part of the Football Game

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Boeing767copilot
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Klasjet Airline Crews Arrest Becomes a Part of the Football Game

Post by Boeing767copilot »

Klasjet Airline Crews Arrest Becomes a Part of the Football Game

· The not-so beautiful game – how despot tactics are threatening the travel plans of UEFA favourites

· Klasjet crew unlawfully detained by Belgium Authorities after flying in to collect national team

For four weeks now KlasJet, the European business aviation company, is entangled in an unprecedented situation, which yesterday culminated in arrest of Klasjet’s crews at Charleroi Airport in Brussels, Belgium. This is just the tip of the iceberg that was a month-long harassment and terrorizing actions, executed with the help of Belgian authorities and by using the undisclosed legal framework to discriminate against EU based carrier KlasJet by obstructing the company’s routine operations.

In the late evening of June 30th, KlasJet crew was detained at the Charleroi Airport without any reason. The distressed crew members were not allowed to contact anyone, their phones were taken away and the crew were brought for interrogation. Crew were denied the fundamental human rights to contact anyone, request legal support and to give testimony in their native language. This exhausting three hours-long show did not materialise in any reasoning or explanations from the authorities.

As those attacks materialising in a form of never-ending torrent of e-mails, threatening requests, inspections and physical interrogations of the crews continues for weeks already, and all our repetitive inquiries for authorities to clarify legal grounds of their actions were ignored. No information on the matter were provided to us. Hence, we ask Belgium legal bodies, involved in the process, to provide information on the legal basis of such detention.

For long years the team was transported to matches by Brussels Airlines with economy class aircraft. So it’s not a surprise that a world-class leading footballers decided to move to an experienced and VIP service-oriented sport teams carrier - KlasJet. As soon as the contract was signed, both KlasJet Airlines and the football team were immediately placed under immense pressure from various Belgium authorities.

Based on La Libre publications the attacks are also supported by the Zaventem Airport, where the Brussels Airlines is based, as the contract was lost by both the airport and the Belgian National carrier. It has already been previously stated in the media, that the Zaventem Airport is unwilling to let this contract go and plans to fight for it, apparently, no matter the cost. It’s worth mentioning that due to the fact that Zaventem Airport VIP terminal can only support small aircraft, Charleroi Airport was chosen as the new airport for the Red Devils team's transportation, where VIP terminal can support larger luxury aircraft.

The FIFA top ranked team, has also been receiving immense coordinated pressure via social media, urging them to return to an all-economy seats Brussels Airlines aircraft with the basic in-flight services provided.

We urge the public and media to follow this story of an unfair fight. Such dirty tactics and actions suggest that such actions of Belgian authorities are not that far from the techniques used by authoritarian Belarusian regime disregarding the international aviation regulation and human rights.

Despite all the difficulties encountered in Belgium, Klasjet is committed to provide top-class service for their passengers. We stand together with Belgian football fans to support their team, the Red Devils and look forward to transporting them as the new UEFA EURO 2020 champions.

Shonix
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Re: Klasjet Airline Crews Arrest Becomes a Part of the Football Game

Post by Shonix »

This is an official press release from Klasjet.

Apparently it's not the first time they're pointed out by other EU unions.

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cathay belgium
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Re: Klasjet Airline Crews Arrest Becomes a Part of the Football Game

Post by cathay belgium »

Hi,

Lots of insinuations no proof !

Please state your topic as an KlasJet press release ;)

It could be written by Ryanair's MoL ,same style...

CXB
New types flown 2022.. A339

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Conti764
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Re: Klasjet Airline Crews Arrest Becomes a Part of the Football Game

Post by Conti764 »

What a bullshit article.

As if SN and or BRU might have any influence on what Belgian authorities do...

sean1982
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Re: Klasjet Airline Crews Arrest Becomes a Part of the Football Game

Post by sean1982 »

Seems like SN and BRU are not only playing dirty games on this forum …

Passenger
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Re: Klasjet Airline Crews Arrest Becomes a Part of the Football Game

Post by Passenger »

As one could expect, there is a lot of nonsense in the KlasJet statement. Actually, the Belgian Justice denies almost everything KlasJet said.

They were not arrested: they were interrogated as 'witness'. For such hearings, a lawyer doens't has to be present.
The action was led by the Labour Court of Charleroi: in charge was Charles-Eric Clesse, auditeur du travail - arbeidsauditeur.
They were separated and they had to give in their phones for three hours, only to avoid that they would contact each other during the interrogation.
it was the second intervention at CRL for this matter. The first one failed after a leak.
The Justice officer in charge (see above) says to L'Avenir: "...il ressort de leur audition qu’il y a certainement un problème de fausse indépendance et de sous-traitance illégale... Le personnel appartient en effet à une société dubaïote. Ces constats seront dénoncés et transmis aux autorités judiciaires et sociales lituaniennes...." My translation, in brief: we have established false labour status and illegal subcontracting via a Dubai company.
The Justice officer also denies that the action was inspired/asked for by Brussels Airport and/or Brussels Airlines. Clesse: "...ils n’ont rien à voir avec cela... Nous avons vu dans la presse qu’il était peut-être question de dumping social et lorsqu’on a appris que l’avion venait à Charleroi, nous avons décidé d’ouvrir une enquête administrative puis judiciaire..." My translation: Brussels Airport and/or Brussels Airlines have nothing to do with this. Our department has heared about social dumping practices via press articles, hence our intervention at CRL.
There wont be a court case at the Belgian Labour Court: the Justice officer from Charleroi has sent his findings to the Lithuanian authorities.

Source - more info:
https://www.lavenir.net/cnt/dmf20210702 ... es-diables

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sn26567
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Re: Klasjet Airline Crews Arrest Becomes a Part of the Football Game

Post by sn26567 »

Anyway, game over the Red Devils, hence no more flights with KlasJet.
André
ex Sabena #26567

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Conti764
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Re: Klasjet Airline Crews Arrest Becomes a Part of the Football Game

Post by Conti764 »

sean1982 wrote: 02 Jul 2021, 18:15 Seems like SN and BRU are not only playing dirty games on this forum …
:lol:

Right.

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Conti764
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Re: Klasjet Airline Crews Arrest Becomes a Part of the Football Game

Post by Conti764 »

sn26567 wrote: 02 Jul 2021, 23:31 Anyway, game over the Red Devils, hence no more flights with KlasJet.
One more left.

Bracebrace
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Re: Klasjet Airline Crews Arrest Becomes a Part of the Football Game

Post by Bracebrace »

Are these the same "interviews" Ryanair crews in Charleroi were subjected to? I wouldn't call them "witness" interviews and if done before flights there is a good reason to cancel the flight. There is a good amount of pressure put on the crews and a fair amount of insinuations done, they don't consider the crews "witness", based on the statements made during the interview I think "co-operators in crime" would be a better description for the tax dispute.

At the end of the day, the crews are simply people trying to make a living and forced into a certain system still accepted within Europe. But because authorities can't touch the companies, they just bully the pilots. Klasjet and some local government fight it out but they both sit behind their safe desks. The pilot is literally squeezed in between both worlds, gets bullied from both sides, one side telling them they are illegal, the other side telling them they have to fly or get out.

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luchtzak
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Re: Klasjet Airline Crews Arrest Becomes a Part of the Football Game

Post by luchtzak »

The first article, published on our main site, didn't mention the fact that it was in fact a press release, issued by Klasjet and The Aviation Factory. We received quite some negative feedback on it.

Meanwhile, we updated our item, which can be found here: https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/klas ... ntracting/

Passenger
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Re: Klasjet Airline Crews Arrest Becomes a Part of the Football Game

Post by Passenger »

Bracebrace wrote: 03 Jul 2021, 08:37 Are these the same "interviews" Ryanair crews in Charleroi were subjected to?
No. Ryanair was Belgian ground staff, living in Belgium but working working with an Irish contract.
Bracebrace wrote: 03 Jul 2021, 08:37 …and if done before flights there is a good reason to cancel the flight.
No. it was done just after landing of the positioning flight AMS-CRL. And apparently no one reported not fit to fly.
Bracebrace wrote: 03 Jul 2021, 08:37 At the end of the day, the crews are simply people trying to make a living and forced into a certain system still accepted within Europe. But because authorities can't touch the companies, they just bully the pilots.
KlasJet is a EU company. As such, EU legislation applies. The relevant Council Directive states that EU companies are allowed to subcontract via an intermediary, but such intermediary must be officially registered in a EU Member State. As far as I know, Dubai is not an EU Member State.
Bracebrace wrote: 03 Jul 2021, 08:37 The pilot is literally squeezed in between both worlds, gets bullied from both sides, one side telling them they are illegal, the other side telling them they have to fly or get out.
The above EU Directive came into force on 1st July 2020, forcing EU Member states to adapt their own legislation to avoid unfair competition. If a Lithuanian employer proposes employment that violates the Lithuanian legislation, the choice should be easy. And that is what happened: a Belgian Labour court officer has reported to Lithuania that KlasJet uses intermediary that is forbidden by Europe.

Bracebrace
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Re: Klasjet Airline Crews Arrest Becomes a Part of the Football Game

Post by Bracebrace »

Ok, thanks for the clarification, my bad

Passenger
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Re: Klasjet Airline Crews Arrest Becomes a Part of the Football Game

Post by Passenger »

The false information from KlasJet continues: "...Lithuania asks Belgium for more explanation about so-called detention of KlasJet crew..."
https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/lith ... sjet-crew/

1. This is not a statement from Lithuania. This is another unilateral press statement by KlasJet, suggesting it's based upon an official statement.

2. KlasJet repeats the same lies as they did before (like "detained" iso interrogated), and they now add new lies. Example: quote: "On 1 July, Belgian officials confirmed in a number of Belgian newspapers that there was no legal basis or jurisdiction to launch such investigations. Still, they continued to accuse Klasjet of undisclosed “violations” (unquote).

No legal basis?? At the contrary! The Belgian Justice officer in charge said to newspaper L'Avenir: "...il ressort de leur audition qu’il y a certainement un problème de fausse indépendance et de sous-traitance illégale... Le personnel appartient en effet à une société dubaïote. Ces constats seront dénoncés et transmis aux autorités judiciaires et sociales lituaniennes...." My translation, in brief: we have established false labour status and illegal subcontracting via a Dubai company. These findings will be denounced and transmitted to the Lithuanian judicial and social authorities.

3. I quote from the new article on the main page: "...KlasJet is considering all possible legal measures to identify officials who abuse their power and compel them to account for their actions..."

Maybe this kind of threats are normal practice in the Lithuanian society? I don't know - I have never been there. But in Belgium and in most other EU countries, judicial officials may be critized, but not "compelled to account". Independence of Justice, we call it.

longwings
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Re: Klasjet Airline Crews Arrest Becomes a Part of the Football Game

Post by longwings »

No interest in defending Klasjet and its business practices, but also I believe the end does not justifies the means and so...
Passenger wrote: 17 Jul 2021, 11:212. KlasJet repeats the same lies as they did before (like "detained" iso interrogated), and they now add new lies. Example: quote: "On 1 July, Belgian officials confirmed in a number of Belgian newspapers that there was no legal basis or jurisdiction to launch such investigations. Still, they continued to accuse Klasjet of undisclosed “violations” (unquote).

No legal basis?? At the contrary! The Belgian Justice officer in charge said to newspaper L'Avenir: "...il ressort de leur audition qu’il y a certainement un problème de fausse indépendance et de sous-traitance illégale... Le personnel appartient en effet à une société dubaïote. Ces constats seront dénoncés et transmis aux autorités judiciaires et sociales lituaniennes...." My translation, in brief: we have established false labour status and illegal subcontracting via a Dubai company. These findings will be denounced and transmitted to the Lithuanian judicial and social authorities.
#1 - Maybe a translation issue, however "detained" is appropriate if
a) the crew's participation was not purely on a voluntary basis OR
b) the crew was not aware that its participation was purely voluntary and they could walk away and refuse to hand over their cell phone
If either A or B above is true, they were detained.
(obviously when one chooses to exercise their right not to cooperate with law enforcement, one might find themselves compelled to - if there is a legal basis)

#2 - Legal basis must exist prior to an act in order to justify the act. If they were detained, the legal basis supporting the detention must have existed at the moment they were detained. Findings subsequent to the detention cannot justify the detention, and if there is no other reason for the detention, the crew may be able to make a case they were illegally detained.
Passenger wrote: 17 Jul 2021, 11:21 3. I quote from the new article on the main page: "...KlasJet is considering all possible legal measures to identify officials who abuse their power and compel them to account for their actions..."

Maybe this kind of threats are normal practice in the Lithuanian society? I don't know - I have never been there. But in Belgium and in most other EU countries, judicial officials may be critized, but not "compelled to account". Independence of Justice, we call it.
I am not sure that there is a threat to the Judiciary’s independence in that statement. The judiciary does contain mechanisms whereby those responsible for this investigation may have to explain themselves, and possibly face consequences. The Judiciary’s independence is not threatened when someone asks that these mechanisms be used… except for those who think the Judiciary should be unaccountable, even to itself.

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