SN BA A330 stuck in KGL

LX-LGX · Post by **LX-LGX** » 02 Mar 2006, 17:38

I've just heard a radio news flash (Radio 1, Flemish radio):

next flight to Kigali : Saturday !

(bookings: flysn.com or contact your travel agency)

SpicyJet · Post by **SpicyJet** » 02 Mar 2006, 18:25

A release of SilverBack ?

It remains to be seen as it is banned from overflying UK, France and Switzreland. Moreover, SilverBack has quite a big unpaid invoice for the repairs on the DC8. And the parking fees owed to BIAC...

OO-SFM was complying to ALL JAR-OPS rules. It is regulary checked as every Belgian airplane both in Belgium and outstation. The documents demanded by Rwandese CAA aren't even mandatory to eyes of the U.S FAA (!!).

Now, maybe OO-SFM is not the most reliable A330 around, that's a fact. But airworthiness and dispatch reliablity are different things. Maybe something too dificult to explain to a corrupted govt/country.

Why would SN respond ?? The airplane is safe and OK with procedures/technical requests to the eyes of REAL and OFFICIAL organisations.

The truth is that Rwanda played a dangerous trick. And SN surely needs the (high) revenue of the KGL flight, but Rwanda is in real need of this SN link... Cargo, ethnic traffic,..

Spicy.

Post by **Kapitein** » 02 Mar 2006, 19:47

On 08/01/2005, aircraft Reg. No. 00-SFM developed a fuel leak which took two days to resolve.

anti-proof: when (= exact time) did SFM returned to BRU on 09/01/2005?

Scheduled time: 0605 LT
Actual time: 0552 LT

kglapt · Post by **kglapt** » 03 Mar 2006, 06:40

Seems that SN Brussels and Belgian CAA officials are in KGL to discuss the A330 issue. I hear flights will resume tomorrow, saturday 4th. Someone must have told SN that KQ (Kenya Airways) were interested in the route!!! (NBO-KGL-BRUSSELS!!!) Who would not be interested in a route with no competitor, high traffic, and high yields!!!!! So in the long run SN has to comply with the Rwanda Civil Aviation requests because each country Civil Aviation has mandate over the country's airspace. The way i see it, SN stands to lose not Rwanda.

SpicyJet · Post by **SpicyJet** » 03 Mar 2006, 07:26

With all respect kglapt, what a cupidity from you. Of course SN is interested... Of course KQ and ET were to gain market shares on this high-yield route. And who will deny here the fact that AF-KLM is VERY interested in KGL. But the French diplomatic position in Rwanda is still fragile.

Vank · Post by **Vank** » 03 Mar 2006, 10:48

Twenty4 wrote: Indeed since August 19, 2005, the BCAA grounded a Rwandan Cargo Aircraft belonging to SCF on baseless grounds. Reputable aircraft maintenance companies like SABENA TECHNICS of Belgium and Priority Aero Maintenance of Sweden can testify that Silverback aircraft is compliant with all safety requirements.

I have a big problem with this. Sabena Technics never declared the A/C serviceable. The only thing which was repaired were the fuel leaks (and there were A LOT of them) ....

Vank

regi · Post by **regi** » 03 Mar 2006, 11:02

And what will they do with the legislation about heavy fines for airlines who transport people who do not have the right documents? Meaning: SNBA has personnel that is specially trained for that, to check for fake documents and illegals trying to enter Belgium.
If another carrier takes over the route and they bring illegals into Belgium, will they pay the fines?
I get visions of people shouting at Belgian immigration officers that they are the cousin of Kagame and that they will phone the embassy and they will do this and that. Only to ask for political asylum and end up in 127Bis, the illegals detention center at the airport.

LX-LGX · Post by **LX-LGX** » 03 Mar 2006, 12:47

Brubiac wrote:
On 08/01/2005, aircraft Reg. No. 00-SFM developed a fuel leak which took two days to resolve.

anti-proof: when (= exact time) did SFM returned to BRU on 09/01/2005?
Scheduled time: 0605 LT
Actual time: 0552 LT

Thanks Brubiac, that is the only kind of proof that stands against lies.

Belgian officials and SNBA will say that the Ruandan Foreign Office isn't telling the truth.

blackhawk · Post by **blackhawk** » 03 Mar 2006, 21:50

http://www.standaard.be/Artikel/Detail. ... 032006_085

Flights to Kigali cancelled ...

airazurxtror · Post by **airazurxtror** » 04 Mar 2006, 12:05

No flight to Kigali to-day, because the negociations with the rwandese are not yet complete, according to "Le Soir".
What is there to negotiate, exactly ? A bakshish ?

killerwhale65 · Post by **killerwhale65** » 04 Mar 2006, 13:25

SN wants absolute certainty that it will be able to land, disembark, embark and takeoff again without any problems. Thats what they are negociating about.

tolipanebas · Post by **tolipanebas** » 04 Mar 2006, 13:31

Todays flight to KGL was cancelled indeed.

Unofficial word from SN has it the Rwandese authorities had told SN they would hold the SN plane again as soon as it had landed.

The deal Rwanda want is simple: give us back the silverback and you can come unhindered again. Needless to say such a deal is impossible to make, especially for SN as it a private company which has nothing to do with Sabena Technics (who needs to do the maintenance on the DC8, or with the CAA who has to give the plane free), but for the Rwandese this is all the same, so this dead lock can last a LOOOOONG time.

Believe it or not, but from a very credible management source at SN I know ao far all this has cost SN already more than 1 million euro in missed revenues, hotel accommotion for pax in KGL, fines for late cargo, wetlease for the replacement plane during the grounding of the A330 etc etc and the bill is getting bigger every day. 8O

If this stand off lasts for much longer, SN will have no choice but to stop selling tickets and close KGL definitely because each time they have to cancel the flight, it costs them another few 100,000 euro which nobody makes good for!

Sad, really sad...

Cartman · Post by **Cartman** » 04 Mar 2006, 13:45

Eventually, the flight has not been cancelled. Passengers who showed up this morning for check-in to KGL were refused (by me of all people

) to check-in area and had to wait until 9am for further news. At 9.10am the passengers were told that they could check-in on the flight to NBO. SN's 330 will not land in KGL, but a charter flight will take the passengers from NBO tot KGL.

Everybody happy, flight left at about 12.20pm.

Finally, the KGL-crowd is gone... about time

SpicyJet · Post by **SpicyJet** » 04 Mar 2006, 16:01

Indeed SN did not have all the guarantees for hassle free operations in and out of KGL.
This costs a LOT of money to SN. And by those times I'm not sure N.Burrows will appreciate for long.
Hoping that SN will turn back its head to normal countries...

Atlantis · Post by **Atlantis** » 04 Mar 2006, 16:18

SNBA has to choose: will they take the risk to fly back to the unreliable Kigali or not and add a new destination in Africa.

Somebody has to pay the huge bills. Who can say that this could not happen a second time? If Kenya Airways will take over the route, fine. SNBA can not be the victim of the maffia in Kigali.

ehamspotter · Post by **ehamspotter** » 04 Mar 2006, 16:27

Atlantis wrote:SNBA has to choose: will they take the risk to fly back to the unreliable Kigali or not and add a new destination in Africa.

Somebody has to pay the huge bills. Who can say that this could not happen a second time? If Kenya Airways will take over the route, fine. SNBA can not be the victim of the maffia in Kigali.

Agree, but wat can we do about it, nothing.
SNBA has already recapture there flights to kigali :frusty:

rgds:Jeroen

SpicyJet · Post by **SpicyJet** » 04 Mar 2006, 16:40

Kenya Airways cannot take over the KGL-BRU route but they can "steal" pax out of KGL to AMS or CDG via NBO.
KQ and ET as I stated above are the real competitors of SNBA on that route. And Martinair + CargoLux major cargo players in KGL.
But with Ethiopian coming to BRU in June it's about time for SN to "spread the risks". Flying ONLY to "Black-Africa" for its long-haul network is a risk at a longer term.
The maket is growing everywhere overseas and there've never been so many opportunities (India, China, ME, Central Europe). SN is too fragile for the moment. If KL-AF and another major European player (LH or BA ?) attack SN on its premium markets (FNA, FIH, ROB) we can have big fears for SN. Once again SN is too dependant !!!
But has SNBA a long-term vision ??

I'm not sure AT ALL. May the future deny my words...

AirDupont · Post by **AirDupont** » 04 Mar 2006, 17:03

Word is that either AF or KL are having a look at ROB. SN is already losing passengers on the FNA route to Astraeus. They go there with a B757 in a single Premium Economy Class.

Greetings

Atlantis · Post by **Atlantis** » 04 Mar 2006, 20:07

Not only European carriers are competitors for SNBA, also American carriers are becomming competitors. This week Delta Airlines announced to fly to Dakar and Johannesburg.
Also North American announced that they start service to Accra via Banjul.

BRU and SNBA will loose those transit pax.

SNBA wake up and soon!!!!!

Post by **sn26567** » 05 Mar 2006, 11:15

Why not start flying to Bujumbura again, instead of Kigali?