Travellers stuck in airline crisis
Reuters
2012-02-17
Views 18
Thousands of passengers have been left stranded by the collapse of budget airline Air Australia.
The Brisbane-based carrier flies to Thailand, Hawaii and Bali.
Here at Phuket in Thailand travellers seemed to be taking the crisis in their stride.
SOUNDBITE: Australian tourist Tyson Bradshaw saying (English):
"Mum booked a flight for me tomorrow morning and a few other friends and that's going to Singapore and from there (we have) got to wait there for a couple of days, then go to Melbourne.
SOUNDBITE: Australian tourist Trevor Evans saying (English):
"We've been here two weeks so if we have to stay here a little bit longer we don't mind. (It's a) very nice place."
Some 300 staff at Air Australia face an uncertain future after the airline went into voluntary administration.
Passengers booked onto Air Australia's domestic flights in Melbourne on Friday faced more immediate uncertainty.
SOUNDBITE: Unidentified stranded passenger saying (English):
"The most frustrating thing is no-one here to help us or anything."
SOUNDBITE: Unidentified stranded passenger saying (English):
"Yes, we've tried calling and no-one's answering the phones or anything."
SOUNDBITE: Unidentified stranded passenger saying (English):
"Extremely disappointed but anyway, what can you do?"
The firm, previously called Strategic Airlines, rebranded itself as Air Australia in November last year.
Apart from it international flights it also has domestic routes between Melbourne, Perth, Port Hedland and Brisbane.
Administrator Mark Korda says they're looking a for a rescuer.
SOUNDBITE: Mark Korda, voluntary administrator, saying (English):
"What we'll do is, our priority is the passengers and the employees, then the next phase will be 'Can this business be sold as as a going concern? Can we find a white knight?' and then we'll do our investigation. So, the next 48 hours, we'll go through that process."
Air Australia's fleet was grounded on Friday when it emerged the airline didn't have enough cash for fuel or basic operational needs.
Paul Chapman, Reuters
The Brisbane-based carrier flies to Thailand, Hawaii and Bali.
Here at Phuket in Thailand travellers seemed to be taking the crisis in their stride.
SOUNDBITE: Australian tourist Tyson Bradshaw saying (English):
"Mum booked a flight for me tomorrow morning and a few other friends and that's going to Singapore and from there (we have) got to wait there for a couple of days, then go to Melbourne.
SOUNDBITE: Australian tourist Trevor Evans saying (English):
"We've been here two weeks so if we have to stay here a little bit longer we don't mind. (It's a) very nice place."
Some 300 staff at Air Australia face an uncertain future after the airline went into voluntary administration.
Passengers booked onto Air Australia's domestic flights in Melbourne on Friday faced more immediate uncertainty.
SOUNDBITE: Unidentified stranded passenger saying (English):
"The most frustrating thing is no-one here to help us or anything."
SOUNDBITE: Unidentified stranded passenger saying (English):
"Yes, we've tried calling and no-one's answering the phones or anything."
SOUNDBITE: Unidentified stranded passenger saying (English):
"Extremely disappointed but anyway, what can you do?"
The firm, previously called Strategic Airlines, rebranded itself as Air Australia in November last year.
Apart from it international flights it also has domestic routes between Melbourne, Perth, Port Hedland and Brisbane.
Administrator Mark Korda says they're looking a for a rescuer.
SOUNDBITE: Mark Korda, voluntary administrator, saying (English):
"What we'll do is, our priority is the passengers and the employees, then the next phase will be 'Can this business be sold as as a going concern? Can we find a white knight?' and then we'll do our investigation. So, the next 48 hours, we'll go through that process."
Air Australia's fleet was grounded on Friday when it emerged the airline didn't have enough cash for fuel or basic operational needs.
Paul Chapman, Reuters
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