coogebeachhotel
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Skybus Toast
- Thread starter coogebeachhotel
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Max Powers
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Skybus in trouble?
Today's most viewed articles
Photo 1 of 1 | Zoom Photo +
Skybus makes its inaugural morning flight as it lands at the Portsmouth International Airport at Pease in this file photo from May, 2007.Deb Cram photo / File
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Deb Cram photo / File
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By Shir Haberman
[email protected]
April 03, 2008 11:41 AM
Analysis by Shir Haberman
PORTSMOUTH — On Wednesday Skybus Airlines announced that it had lost another of its top executives. Vice President of Operations Bud Sittig had resigned.
The news comes a week after the surprise departure of the Columbus-based airline’s chief executive, Bill Diffenderffer. These changes raised the concerns of at least two Pease Development Authority directors about the money the authority intends to spend on renovations to the Pease terminal and tradeport roadways to accommodate potential Skybus passengers.
The PDA board voted recently to spend $3.9 million to upgrade the terminal and up to another $250,000 to construct a road that would lead from the main Pease International Tradeport entrance off the Spaulding Turnpike directly to the air terminal.
"Based on this information, I recently talked to several of my fellow directors about holding off on the (terminal) contract, but the consensus was to go forward," said Director Gary Levy at a PDA board workshop held Thursday.
Director Peggy Lamson said she too was concerned.
"With all this going on and with the price of gas being what it is, I’m just not confident," Lamson said.
PDA board Chairman Art Nickless said that Executive Director Dick Green had spoken to Diffenderffer just prior to his resignation and had been assured that the airline was committed to the Pease facility.
"We also had a visit from (Skybus) Chief Financial Officer Charlie Clifton and held a conference call with Mike Hodge, the man who took over for Diffenderffer as the airline’s CEO," Nickless said. "They both said Portsmouth is going to be a big part of Skybus’ operations."
Nickless said he felt that, with all these changes, it was time to do some "due diligence" concerning the future of the low-cost airline.
"Everything I’ve read on the Internet indicates the analysts believe Skybus is doing what it should," he said. "I authorize Dick (Green) to go forward (with the terminal renovations at Pease)."
However, airline analyst Anthony Tangorra, the CEO of Latitude Transport Advisory based in New York, said he believes Skybus’ decision to use small airports such as the one at Pease, in sparsely populated markets, is a contributing factor to the problems these resignations point to. The other issue, Tangorra said, is the high price of fuel that is creating financial problems for even major air carriers.
"Skybus loads have plummeted in the last few months," Tangorra said. "Right now, they’re just trying to hang on.
"If these fuel prices are maintained for even the next nine to 12 months, it will be difficult for Skybus to continue," the analyst said. "They certainly can make changes, and they are not done yet, but there are reasons to be concerned."
The Dispatch reported that whoever takes over for Sittig will inherit a thicket of tough issues, including a directive from Hodge to quickly improve operational efficiency and a drive on the part of Skybus pilots to unionize under the Teamsters.
The Columbus newspaper interviewed Darryl Jenkins, an aviation consultant and director of the Aviation Institute at George Washington University. Jenkins said he wasn’t surprised at seeing another high-level departure at Skybus and that anyone taking over Sittig’s role will have a tough time.
"It’s not unusual when you have a coup, like they had with Diffenderffer leaving last week, to see other people leaving," Jenkins told the Dispatch. "But I for one wouldn’t want to be in that position.
"The union thing is going to be uncomfortable," Jenkins said. "The truth is, if Skybus goes union, they’re probably not going to last."
Skybus spokesman Bob Tenenbaum declined to comment on Jenkins’ views.
When the pilots’ unionization drive was first reported three weeks ago, the company released a statement: "We believe that a majority of our pilots will understand that we are better served focusing on building a start-up airline in a very competitive environment than we are going down a path that for other airlines has led to contentious labor-management issues."
Sittig said in his letter that his resignation "will be effective with the orderly transfer of responsibilities to the new director of operations in the coming days," the Dispatch reported.
Sittig joined Skybus 2 1/2 years before the airline started flying in May 2007. Before that, he worked his way through the ranks at Delta as a pilot, manager of flight operations and director of flight safety.
He also was a longtime National Guard reservist
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Photo 1 of 1 | Zoom Photo +
Skybus makes its inaugural morning flight as it lands at the Portsmouth International Airport at Pease in this file photo from May, 2007.Deb Cram photo / File
aryImgs[imgCounter] = "http://images.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=SO&Date=20080403&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=80403011&Ref=AR&MaxW=200&MaxH=180&title=1&border=0"; aryCaps[imgCounter] = "Skybus%20makes%20its%20inaugural%20morning%20flight%20as%20it%20lands%20at%20the%20Portsmouth%20International%20Airport%20at%20Pease%20in%20this%20file%20photo%20from%20May%2C%202007.
Deb Cram photo / File
"; aryZooms[imgCounter] = "javascript: NewWindow(870,625,window.document.location+'&Template=photos&img="+imgCounter+"')"; bolImages=true; var isoPubDate = 'April 03, 2008'
By Shir Haberman[email protected]
April 03, 2008 11:41 AM
Analysis by Shir Haberman
PORTSMOUTH — On Wednesday Skybus Airlines announced that it had lost another of its top executives. Vice President of Operations Bud Sittig had resigned.
The news comes a week after the surprise departure of the Columbus-based airline’s chief executive, Bill Diffenderffer. These changes raised the concerns of at least two Pease Development Authority directors about the money the authority intends to spend on renovations to the Pease terminal and tradeport roadways to accommodate potential Skybus passengers.
The PDA board voted recently to spend $3.9 million to upgrade the terminal and up to another $250,000 to construct a road that would lead from the main Pease International Tradeport entrance off the Spaulding Turnpike directly to the air terminal.
"Based on this information, I recently talked to several of my fellow directors about holding off on the (terminal) contract, but the consensus was to go forward," said Director Gary Levy at a PDA board workshop held Thursday.
Director Peggy Lamson said she too was concerned.
"With all this going on and with the price of gas being what it is, I’m just not confident," Lamson said.
PDA board Chairman Art Nickless said that Executive Director Dick Green had spoken to Diffenderffer just prior to his resignation and had been assured that the airline was committed to the Pease facility.
"We also had a visit from (Skybus) Chief Financial Officer Charlie Clifton and held a conference call with Mike Hodge, the man who took over for Diffenderffer as the airline’s CEO," Nickless said. "They both said Portsmouth is going to be a big part of Skybus’ operations."
Nickless said he felt that, with all these changes, it was time to do some "due diligence" concerning the future of the low-cost airline.
"Everything I’ve read on the Internet indicates the analysts believe Skybus is doing what it should," he said. "I authorize Dick (Green) to go forward (with the terminal renovations at Pease)."
However, airline analyst Anthony Tangorra, the CEO of Latitude Transport Advisory based in New York, said he believes Skybus’ decision to use small airports such as the one at Pease, in sparsely populated markets, is a contributing factor to the problems these resignations point to. The other issue, Tangorra said, is the high price of fuel that is creating financial problems for even major air carriers.
"Skybus loads have plummeted in the last few months," Tangorra said. "Right now, they’re just trying to hang on.
"If these fuel prices are maintained for even the next nine to 12 months, it will be difficult for Skybus to continue," the analyst said. "They certainly can make changes, and they are not done yet, but there are reasons to be concerned."
The Dispatch reported that whoever takes over for Sittig will inherit a thicket of tough issues, including a directive from Hodge to quickly improve operational efficiency and a drive on the part of Skybus pilots to unionize under the Teamsters.
The Columbus newspaper interviewed Darryl Jenkins, an aviation consultant and director of the Aviation Institute at George Washington University. Jenkins said he wasn’t surprised at seeing another high-level departure at Skybus and that anyone taking over Sittig’s role will have a tough time.
"It’s not unusual when you have a coup, like they had with Diffenderffer leaving last week, to see other people leaving," Jenkins told the Dispatch. "But I for one wouldn’t want to be in that position.
"The union thing is going to be uncomfortable," Jenkins said. "The truth is, if Skybus goes union, they’re probably not going to last."
Skybus spokesman Bob Tenenbaum declined to comment on Jenkins’ views.
When the pilots’ unionization drive was first reported three weeks ago, the company released a statement: "We believe that a majority of our pilots will understand that we are better served focusing on building a start-up airline in a very competitive environment than we are going down a path that for other airlines has led to contentious labor-management issues."
Sittig said in his letter that his resignation "will be effective with the orderly transfer of responsibilities to the new director of operations in the coming days," the Dispatch reported.
Sittig joined Skybus 2 1/2 years before the airline started flying in May 2007. Before that, he worked his way through the ranks at Delta as a pilot, manager of flight operations and director of flight safety.
He also was a longtime National Guard reservist
Max Powers
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2005
- Posts
- 1,136
I hope you're right, but I doubt it. Hopefully by the end of the year, though.
Colonel Savage
Southern style...
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- 1,271
Well, if they're strong rumors, there must be something you can share with the forum.
Wassup?
Truckdriver
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- Joined
- Feb 10, 2004
- Posts
- 976
Now didn't Skyway just have their flying taken by SkyWest? I don't think high oil prices or the economy had much to do with them going away it was SkyWest taking over the flying. I wouldn't include them on this list of casualties due to high oil and the economy.
I knew it was too good to be true.
deadstick
Pucker Factor: HIGH
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2002
- Posts
- 706
Propsync
Everybody to the limit!
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2004
- Posts
- 722
It was mostly due to lack of money to get the aircraft to keep the flying in-house. Bad management. Midwest should have gone with the Dash years ago, things would have been different. Too bad it was a sin to buy props back then...
Still, it's another 200 pilots.
Hair-on-Fire
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- Feb 23, 2005
- Posts
- 614
olympus593
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2005
- Posts
- 568
[FONT=ARIAL, Helvetica, Geneva][FONT=ARIAL,]Here you go
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content...ss/stories/2008/04/04/skybust.html
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http://www.dispatch.com/live/content...ss/stories/2008/04/04/skybust.html
[/FONT][/FONT]
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