Intanto sul sito della Sterling la dichiarazione di bancarotta...
http://www.sterling.eu/
Kære kunder, medarbejdere og øvrige partnere (follows in English below)
I de seneste uger har Sterlings ledelse, bestyrelse og hovedaktionær kæmpet for at holde selskabet flydende. Desværre forgæves, og vi har derfor besluttet at indgive konkursbegæring senere i dag.
Baggrund
Sterling Airlines A/S har gennemlevet en række omvæltninger og forandringer siden selskabet blev overtaget af nye ejere i foråret 2005, hvor selskabet blev fusioneret med Maersk Air A/S. I 2005 beløb det samlede tab sig til mere end 800 MDKK, og de tidligere ejere ønskede at komme ud på den ene eller anden måde. Alle arbejdspladser i de to selskaber var derfor i fare, og det samme var konkurrencesituationen på hele det skandinaviske rejsemarked, da vi som lavprisselskab var med til at sikre en sund konkurrence med lavere billetpriser.
Fusionsprocessen startede i efteråret 2005 og varede til midten af 2006, hvor vi havde sikret mere end 1.200 medarbejdere større jobsikkerhed, og havde udvidet vores rutenet til gavn for langt flere skandinaviske passagerer, der kunne glæde sig over de lavere priser.
Forretningen voksede positivt og vores økonomiske situation blev forbedret markant i forhold til de tabsgivende år, der gik forud. I 2007 var operationen lykkedes og med et stigende passagertal kunne vi afslutte året med et driftsmæssigt overskud (positivt EBITDA) for første gang i mange år.
Olie- og finanskrise
I efteråret 2007 kunne vi se en begyndende, global finanskrise brede sig, og i vinteren 2007/2008 oplevede vi en stagnation i rejsemarkedet. Betydelige prisstigninger på fuel og en planlagt, kraftig ekspansion af vores aktiviteter gjorde os mere udsatte for konjunkturskiftet end vi normalt ville have været.
I foråret 2008 blev flyindustrien atter ramt af stigende oliepriser og vigende efterspørgsel. Dette førte til store tab for Sterling. I løbet af sommeren og efteråret gennemførte Sterlings ledelse sammen med medarbejderne en spareplan, hvor både flyflåde og mandskab blev reduceret – en reduktion på 40% uden driftsforstyrrelser. Samtidig trak vi os ud af flere tabsgivende aktiviteter. Disse indgreb ville have haft fuld effekt fra starten af 2009.
Restruktureringen bestod bl.a. i økonomisk støtte fra vores hovedaktionær, der fra udgangen af juli til slutningen af september 2008 tilførte selskabet 444,5 MDKK i ny kapital. Hovedaktionærens plan var at fortsætte støtten indtil starten af 2009. Den 29. september 2008, begyndte det islandske finanssystem at kollapse. I løbet af 3-4 uger var nedsmeltningen af hele det finansielle system en realitet, og vores hovedaktionær kunne ikke fortsætte sin økonomiske støtte. Derfor har der været ført forhandlinger med flere interesserede investorer, men den globale usikkerhed betød desværre, at vi ikke har kunnet finde en tilfredsstillende løsning, og vi har ikke set anden udvej end at begære Sterling Airlines A/S konkurs.
Sterling Airlines’ vartegn har altid været yderst kompetente medarbejdere og et meget højt serviceniveau. Den særlige ‘Sterling ånd’ vil altid leve. Vi har begået fejltagelser hen ad vejen, men de positive oplevelser har forhåbentlig overskygget de negative. Vi var med til at skabe et konkurrencedygtigt marked for flyrejser til og fra Skandinavien, til glæde og gavn for de millioner af rejsende, der valgte at flyve med os.
Information til Sterlings passagerer
Kunder som har bestilt billetter direkte på Sterlings hjemmeside, har desværre ikke mulighed for at få deres billetter refunderet. Dette gælder også returrejsen, hvorfor hjemrejsen med andet flyselskab således er for egen regning.
Hvis du har betalt for billetterne med kreditkort, bør du kontakte kreditkortselskabet/udstederen eller din bank for eventuel refundering af ubrugte billetter.
Passagerer som har booket deres fly gennem et rejsebureau bør omgående kontakte deres tur-operatør.
De passagerer som har booket billet gennem Sterling, men skal flyve med Norwegian, bedes kontakte Norwegian direkte:
+47 21490015 (uden for Norge)
815 21 815 (fra Norge)
Passagerer som lige nu befinder sig i udlandet, boende på hotel eller som har lejet bil gennem Sterlings samarbejdspartnere, har stadig mulighed for at blive på hotellet eller have bilen i den periode som de har betalt for, da disse er betalt direkte til Sterlings samarbejdspartnere. Med hensyn til flybilletten retur bliver man desværre nødt til at finde andre alternativer for at komme hjem.
Vær venligst opmærksom på, at hvis flybilletten/hotellet/bilen er købt og betalt hos ét og samme rejsebureau, og står du med en samlet faktura, bør du ved hjemkomsten kontakte dit rejsebureau for eventuel dækning eller hjælp til dine yderligere udgifter til hjemrejsen.
Mange rejseforsikringer dækker desværre ikke konkurs, men du bør alligevel kontakte dit forsikringsselskab for at få en eventuel afklaring heraf.
Vi følger op senere i dag med svar på konkrete problemstillinger, og håber på denne måde at kunne hjælpe dig i denne meget uheldige situation.
Sterling Airlines A/S
29. oktober 2008
Dear customers, employees and other stakeholders,
During the last few weeks, the management, board of directors, and the shareholder of Sterling Airlines A/S have been fighting a battle to keep the company alive. Sadly, this has not had a positive outcome, and we have therefore decided to file for bankruptcy which will be done later today.
Background
During the last three years, Sterling Airlines A/S has been through a lot of changes and since acquired by new shareholders in spring 2005 the company has taken on a merger with Maersk Air A/S. In 2005, the total loss of both airlines exceeded 800 MDKK and both owners wanted out one way or the other. Therefore, all jobs in both airlines were at stake and so was also the competitive landscape in Scandinavian aviation since only the presence of a low cost carrier would ensure healthy competition and pricing on the market.
The merger process started in the autumn of 2005 and lasted until mid-year 2006, and by that time we employed over 1,200 employees with far more job security than before, and we had expanded our route network to enable more customers in Scandinavia to travel for less money.
Our operation was progressing positively and our finances were improving considering the massive losses that had been encountered in the preceding years. In 2007, we were doing very well and saw that more and more customers were choosing Sterling, and we ended the year with a positive EBITDA (operational profit) for the first time in many years.
Oil and financial crisis
With the global financial recession that started in the autumn of 2007, Sterling by winter 2007 – 2008 was seeing signs of stagnation in the market. Significant fuel cost increases, and at the same time a planned heavy expansion of our activities, made us more exposed than we would have been otherwise.
By spring 2008, the airline industry was hit by decreasing demand and rapidly increasing fuel prices. That led to Sterling accumulating large losses. During summer and autumn the management of Sterling implemented a restructuring plan of the company resulting in a reduction in fleet and manpower, and a pull-out of a lot of loss-making activities, without compromising our services. The full effect of these actions were planned to have impact start of 2009.
To get the company restructured, the shareholder of Sterling gave financial support from the end of July 2008 to the end of September 2008 transferring 444.5 million DKK to the company. The plan was to continue financial support into 2009. On the 29th September 2008, the Icelandic financial environment started to collapse. Over a 3 to 4 weeks period, the whole financial system melted down, and that resulted in our shareholder being unable to continue his support to the company. Negotiations have been conducted with several potential investors, but it was impossible to make ends meet. The inevitable result is that Sterling Airlines A/S has no option but to file for bankruptcy.
Sterling Airlines’ trademark has always been excellent staff and service. Among the staff the Sterling spirit will continue to exist. We have made our mistakes over the years. But hopefully we have done more right than wrong, and at least we have made the market more competitive to the benefit of our customers.
Information to Sterling Passengers
Customers who have directly purchased their tickets on Sterling’s website will unfortunately not be refunded neither will their return flights. You therefore have to book your return flights with another airline company.
If you have paid for a flight by credit card, we advise you to contact your bank or credit card company to ask for a possible refund.
Customers who have booked their flights through a travel agency or tour operator should initially contact them.
Passengers who have booked their tickets through Sterling, but is flying with Norwegian, should contact Norwegian directly on one of the below phone numbers:
+47 21490015 (from outside Norway)
815 21 815 (from Norway)
Passengers currently staying abroad in hotels, or hiring a car through Sterling business partners, are still able to stay in their hotel or keep the hired car for the relevant period of time, as such services are paid for through our business partners and not Sterling. However as for your return flight, you will need to find alternatives for your final destination.
Please note that if you have booked your travel/hotel/car through a travel agency or tour operator, please contact them upon your return for possible refund of expenses for your return flight.
We understand that most travel insurance does not protect holders from airline insolvency but should you have taken insurance please contact your insurance company for clarification.
We will later put on a FAQ and hope that this will help you in this very unfortunate situation.
Sterling Airlines A/S
29th October 2008
e Sterling..... Sterling non ha nessuna di queste fortune...
