Varig said yesterday that it is suspending some flights to the US, Europe and three cities in South America after being forced by a US Bankruptcy Court judge to ground leased aircraft. In a statement on its website, the airline said it will stop serving New York, Los Angeles (leaving Miami as its only US gateway), Mexico City, Montevideo, Asuncion, Bogota, Milan, Munich, Paris and Madrid. Operations are suspended until at least June 28, according to press reports. The carrier has grounded 20-35 aircraft, according to various sources. The court was scheduled to rule yesterday on a request by Varig to extend a restraining order against lessors attempting to repossess aircraft. The airline said it will focus on prioritizing more popular and higher-yield routes. Passengers holding tickets on the suspended services will be accommodated on other Varig flights or by other airlines. Atwonline
Varig, sequestrati 22 aeromobili. Caos in Brasile.
- Autore Discussione Cesare.Caldi
- Data d'inizio
Ma come fanno a riproteggerli con altri voli Varig se le rotte interessate sono state chiuse? Anche le altre compagnie non sono piu' tenute a concedere la riprotezione agli ex pax Varig ora abbandonati, infatti è notizia di ieri che Varig è stata espulsa dalla IATA per la grave situazione economica in cui si trova.
Quindi, visto che tra le prime rotte cancellate c'è MXP vuol dire che non è una delle loro rotte principali ad alto yield?
June 21, 2006
Brazil's troubled airline Varig won a temporary reprieve in court on Wednesday stopping creditors from repossessing part of its fleet, just hours after it canceled most of its international flights until at least June 28.
Judge Robert Drain of New York's Bankruptcy Court extended a preliminary injunction blocking the seizure of 25 of Varig's planes until July 21, pending the sale of the debt-ridden carrier to a group of its employees.
"This court should not be responsible for pulling the plug on Varig," Drain said at the hearing in New York.
But the judge also said the extension depended on certain conditions, including that Varig allow lessors such as International Lease Finance and Boeing to provide security for their aircraft that have been grounded.
He set another hearing on the matter for June 28 -- after a Friday deadline for the Varig employee group, known by its Portuguese acronym TGV, to make a down payment of USD$75 million to take control of the airline.
The Brazilian judge overseeing Varig's bankruptcy proceedings, Luiz Roberto Ayoub, approved the sale of the airline on Monday to a consortium of unidentified investors led by TGV for USD$449 million.
If the group does not make the down payment by Friday, the sale will be considered void. That could force the Brazilian court to hold another auction to try to find a new buyer or force the airline into liquidation.
The 79-year-old Varig, once Latin America's largest airline, has already grounded more than half of its fleet and is only operating 19 of a total of 60 aircraft, its lawyer said at the hearing in New York.
Citing a shortage of planes and insufficient cashflow, Varig said on Wednesday it will no longer fly to New York and Los Angeles for the time being, leaving Miami as the sole destination it will serve in the United States.
It also canceled some flights to other Latin American countries and to Europe, but will continue flying to London and Frankfurt -- two of its most profitable international routes.
Varig has been operating under bankruptcy protection for the past year, and has been canceling flights on a daily basis for weeks. On Tuesday alone it canceled more than 100 flights -- more than half of its daily routes -- and canceled dozens more on Wednesday.
"Only God can save Varig," said a woman who gave her name as Celia as she prayed with the Bible at Varig's check-in counter at Rio de Janeiro Airport after her flight was canceled.
The cancellations prompted Brazil's National Civil Aviation Agency on Wednesday to implement an emergency plan to accommodate Varig passengers who have been stranded.
As part of the plan, Varig's main domestic rivals -- TAM Linhas Aereas and Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes -- will accept as many Varig tickets as possible. They could also charter additional aircraft if needed.
Varig, short for Viacao Aerea Rio-Grandense, is saddled with more than 7 billion reais (USD$3.1 billion) in debt. It has been losing money and market share for years to more cost-efficient rivals such as TAM and Gol.
(Reuters)
Brazil's troubled airline Varig won a temporary reprieve in court on Wednesday stopping creditors from repossessing part of its fleet, just hours after it canceled most of its international flights until at least June 28.
Judge Robert Drain of New York's Bankruptcy Court extended a preliminary injunction blocking the seizure of 25 of Varig's planes until July 21, pending the sale of the debt-ridden carrier to a group of its employees.
"This court should not be responsible for pulling the plug on Varig," Drain said at the hearing in New York.
But the judge also said the extension depended on certain conditions, including that Varig allow lessors such as International Lease Finance and Boeing to provide security for their aircraft that have been grounded.
He set another hearing on the matter for June 28 -- after a Friday deadline for the Varig employee group, known by its Portuguese acronym TGV, to make a down payment of USD$75 million to take control of the airline.
The Brazilian judge overseeing Varig's bankruptcy proceedings, Luiz Roberto Ayoub, approved the sale of the airline on Monday to a consortium of unidentified investors led by TGV for USD$449 million.
If the group does not make the down payment by Friday, the sale will be considered void. That could force the Brazilian court to hold another auction to try to find a new buyer or force the airline into liquidation.
The 79-year-old Varig, once Latin America's largest airline, has already grounded more than half of its fleet and is only operating 19 of a total of 60 aircraft, its lawyer said at the hearing in New York.
Citing a shortage of planes and insufficient cashflow, Varig said on Wednesday it will no longer fly to New York and Los Angeles for the time being, leaving Miami as the sole destination it will serve in the United States.
It also canceled some flights to other Latin American countries and to Europe, but will continue flying to London and Frankfurt -- two of its most profitable international routes.
Varig has been operating under bankruptcy protection for the past year, and has been canceling flights on a daily basis for weeks. On Tuesday alone it canceled more than 100 flights -- more than half of its daily routes -- and canceled dozens more on Wednesday.
"Only God can save Varig," said a woman who gave her name as Celia as she prayed with the Bible at Varig's check-in counter at Rio de Janeiro Airport after her flight was canceled.
The cancellations prompted Brazil's National Civil Aviation Agency on Wednesday to implement an emergency plan to accommodate Varig passengers who have been stranded.
As part of the plan, Varig's main domestic rivals -- TAM Linhas Aereas and Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes -- will accept as many Varig tickets as possible. They could also charter additional aircraft if needed.
Varig, short for Viacao Aerea Rio-Grandense, is saddled with more than 7 billion reais (USD$3.1 billion) in debt. It has been losing money and market share for years to more cost-efficient rivals such as TAM and Gol.
(Reuters)
Hai bevuto teqila? Hanno cancellato Milano alla stregua di LAX, Madrid o Parigi...non mi risulta che volassero anche a Cuneo...
