Malév ordered to repay state aid, now bankrupt

[regi]

Just a thought: how many days did Malev employees strike , let's say the last 5 years?
I remember that many called the strikes of Sabena personnel the final blow to the airline.

And with all those negative reactions on the national strike of last week, I just wonder if it really has such a devastating impact on the results.

I think that the main cause of failure of national carriers is the combination of politically appointed managment positions, too many benefits in general, lack of dynamism inherent to state owned companies and some strange obligations - in this Malev case the BUD airport thing .

[kiwiandrew]

Sadly for the employees of Malev, it looks as though it is all over.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/ ... E920120203

Feb 3 (Reuters) - Hungarian flag-carrier Malev announced on Friday that it had stopped operating because its liquidity situation has become unsustainable and all its flights had been grounded as of 0500 GMT on Friday.


My sympathies to the staff, and to affected passengers.

[Passenger]

See also http://www.malev.com

Free translation tool: http://translate.google.com

[sn26567]

WizzAir offers rescue fares to stranded Malév passengers. See viewtopic.php?f=31&t=46665

It is funny to see that Charleroi is the alternative airport for both Brussels and Paris CDG.

[tolipanebas]

Well, those rescue fares from Wizzair are nothing but a promotion stunt really and it seems even those who have no suitable alternatives to offer, start doing it now....
Wonder whho's next? Air Asia offering rescue fares too, just to be sure to be named in every news article, thus getting free publicity?

Where's SN, BTW?
SN has 2 daily BRU-BUD flights, so they should be working overtime to make sure to steal as much Malev pax as possible: or better even try to get in personal contact with all Malev customers in BRU. Maybe bribe the Malev station manager or something?

Personally, I am saddened to see them go as I always thought they had a nice livery, but a livery alone isn't a business plan: I wonder if the nationalistic government in Budapest is finally going to give MA up, or rather work out yet another costly plan to get their flag carrier back in the air.

[Passenger]

And where are the other One World members ?

Although they are not legally obliged to do so, one could expect they would accept stranded pax on empty seats at no extra cost.

http://www.oneworld.com/member-airlines

[dna]

Notice on Brussels airport website:

Malev: Brussels Airlines offers an alternative to stranded passengers
The Hungarian airline Malev had decided Friday morning to cancel all of its flights due to financial problems. The carrier also operates from Brussels. Passengers with a Malev ticket can contact Brussels Airlines. The Belgian carrier will accept Malev tickets, but will charge a supplement.

[airbuske]

Where's SN, BTW?
SN has 2 daily BRU-BUD flights, so they should be working overtime to make sure to steal as much Malev pax as possible: or better even try to get in personal contact with all Malev customers in BRU. Maybe bribe the Malev station manager or something?

Brussels Airlines will add a 3th daily flight as from the 13th february.

Code: Select all

SN2821 BRU BUD  1345 - 1555 Day 12345--
SN2821 BRU BUD  1000 - 1210 Day ------7
SN2822 BUD BRU  1625 - 1835 Day 12345--
SN2822 BUD BRU  1240 - 1450 Day ------7

The will incease capacity on the morning/evening flight A319/B737.

[tolipanebas]

Where's SN, BTW?
SN has 2 daily BRU-BUD flights, so they should be working overtime to make sure to steal as much Malev pax as possible: or better even try to get in personal contact with all Malev customers in BRU. Maybe bribe the Malev station manager or something?

Brussels Airlines will add a 3th daily flight as from the 13th february.
SN2821 BRU BUD 1345 - 1555 Day 12345
SN2821 BRU BUD 1000 - 1210 Day ------7
SN2822 BUD BRU 1625 - 1835 Day 12345
SN2822 BUD BRU 1240 -1450 Day ------7

The will incease capacity on the morning/evening flight A319/B737.

Sad as it is for MA, this is how things go these days: there's just too much competition on intra-european routes and when a competitor stumbles, you really need to act quickly and make sure you've captured as much of the market he has left open for you as you possibly can, before he can get back on his feet (if ever) or before someone else snatches the opportunity from under your nose: good to see SN react within just hours.

The enhanced schedule to BUD:
SN2823 BRU BUD 0630 - 0840 12345__
SN2821 BRU BUD 1245 - 1555 12345__ (1000 - 1210 on day 7) *NEW*
SN2825 BRU BUD 1750 - 1955 12345_7

and the schedule from BUD:
SN2824 BUD BRU 0910 - 1120 12345__
SN2822 BUD BRU 1625 - 1835 12345__ (1240 - 1450 on day 7) *NEW*
SN2826 BUD BRU 2025 - 2235 12345_7

Which isn't a bad schedule indeed, although it would have been great to have an early departure from BUD as well, although a nightstop service is much harder to implement short notice of course. Maybe something for the upcoming summer season? Oh, and while they are at it, renumber the flights too then.

[earthman]

Ohh the Hungarians are going to just LOVE the EU now....

[sean1982]

Ryanair to step in and open a base in budapest within 14days !! (not sure how they will manage that )

4 B737-800 based and 31 routes!

http://www.ryanair.com/ie/news/ryanair- ... new-routes

[Boeing767copilot]

Wizz Air flights to Eindhoven and Brussels Charleroi will double in frequency, now operating twice daily.

http://wizzair.com/about_us/news/?language=EN#wizen100

[tolipanebas]

Ryanair to step in and open a base in budapest within 14days !! (not sure how they will manage that )

That was actually announced weeks ago already, but as usual FR puts a great spin on the story to make use of today's events to bring their new base under the spotlight.

[sean1982]

Ryanair to step in and open a base in budapest within 14days !! (not sure how they will manage that )

That was actually announced weeks ago already, but as usual FR puts a great spin on the story to make use of today's events to bring their new base under the spotlight.

heum, no, they announced a few routes from other bases to BUD, not a new base. Internal memo about new base was also issued today, which means decision was taken today

[earthman]

Maybe FR will take over Malev's leased planes.

[sean1982]

I think FR have enough planes and 30 more are scheduled to orrive from Seattle in the coming months

[Malaysia]

The whole fleet of Malev has been ferried to Shannon today, execpt one aircraft; HA- LQC, This is one is going to do Budapest - Shannon - Dublin - Budapest, I guess it's to pick up the pilots for the flight back

[earthman]

Hmm, mr. Nick Popovich doing his work again?

[sn26567]

This all reminds me the days after the demise of Sabena. Many airlines jumped in to fill the void. Most of them retreated after a few months: they had not reckoned with the revival of Sabena's subsidiary DAT under what would become SN Brussels Airlines.

The Hungarian government has already stressed thye need for a national airline (don't they already have Wizz Air?). I'm sure they will find a solution and foreign airlines will have to reduce their schedules again: in one month, in one year?

[tolipanebas]

It might be interesting if somebody could post Malev's flightschedule between BRU and BUD so we can have a look where their capacity is going...