FlyJetGreen ceases trading

Sarsfield

I was sceptical to begin with, but it looks like they will actually get off the ground tomorrow. Good luck to them.

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/566200/M/

BendiBus

After flying for about a week! Stranded passengers have to make their own way home.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/0512/airline.html

DMC

After one week! Thats unbelieveable.

On the site... Temporary Lack of Access. Site unavailable.

BuffyBot

After one week! Thats unbelieveable.

Absolutely mental. You would wonder why they bothered starting!

dathi1

****e and ****e agian!!!!!!! thats my 4 day break to Granada down the tubes.

ArphaRima

And now they are dead. One week. So bad its hilarious.

http://www.unison.ie/breakingnews/index.php3?ca=35&si=55223

Hope it will show that sometimes the cheaper fare is not the best fare.
Do feel kind of sorry for the staff, though at least they didnt have to unpack their bags..

Sarsfield

I guess my scepticism was justified then. I think there are a lot of serious questions to be answered about how they were let operate in the first place.

As reported in the thread below, Jet Green was run by a convicted fraudster (allegedly) who had already gotten into trouble over FreshAer by selling tickets for an operation that had no permission to fly. And now he's been let do it again in a matter of months?

http://www.pprune.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=130036

I think the Minister should be summoning his regulators to his office first thing in the morning to demand an explanation.

This isn't just a case of a failed business venture. It is regulatory incompetence.

Mercury_Tilt

This post has been deleted.

Victor

Saw this coming.

To: info@aviationreg.ie
Sent : Wednesday, April 28, 2004
From : <XXXXXXXXXXXXX@hotmail.com>
Subject: jetgreen.ie

Hi,

Can you confirm JetGreen is licenced as an airline and as a travel agent (both transport and accommodation services are provided).

From : <YYYYYYYYYYYYyyy@aviationreg.ie>
Sent : Wednesday, April 28, 2004 1:39 PM
To : <XXXXXXXXXXXXX@hotmail.com>
Subject : RE: jetgreen.ie

Hi XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jetgreen are licenced as a Tour Operator. They have the services of a
licenced airline to take passengers.

They are not licenced as a travel agent or as an airline.

Regards

YYYYYYYYYYYYY
Commission for Aviation Regulation
3rd Floor
Alexandra House
Earlsfort Terrace
Dublin 2
Ph: 01 6611700 Direct line: 01 634 6831 Fax 01 6611269
mailto: YYYYYYYYYYYY@aviationreg.ie - http://www.aviationreg.ie

Victor

They were bonded.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/2004/05/12/story147220.html

Passengers to be flown home after airline collapse
12/05/2004 - 14:15:24

All passengers stranded abroad after the Irish tour operator JetGreen stopped trading will be flown home, it was confirmed today.

The newcomer had been selling budget travel packages from Dublin Airport to Spain’s Alicante and Malaga regions.

The Commission for Aviation Regulation said it believed it ceased trading earlier this morning for financial reasons, after only taking to the air on May 4.

A commission spokesman said: “They weren’t allowed to commence trading until they had provided a bond to ensure against any problems.

“The bond came into affect to repatriate people who may have flown with the airline to Spain.

“It will also refund people who paid for tickets who have receipts.”

The company was flying as a tour operator by chartering aircraft through a subsidiary of Icelandair.

A statement from JetGreen Airways said it would not be able to fly anyone home.

JetGreen Airways is believed to have lodged a bond amounting to a six-figure sum, between €350,000 and €500,000, to get its tour operators licence earlier this year.

JetGreen Airways had announced it would be flying to a host of European cities for the summer months, including Rome, Nice and Faro.

The operator was taking bookings for the routes although it had not organised the landing slots with Aer Rianta in Dublin Airport.

The airport operator wrote to the company last week, which stated if an application for landing slots was not lodged it would inform the aviation regulator.

Aer Rianta confirmed customers who had booked flights on its new route to Rome had contacted the airport.

A banner on the website read: “We aim to be the finest, most stylish low fare, low cost and high service tour operator. JetGreen – Fly the difference!”

The operator had attracted customers by advertising €1 flights from Dublin to Malaga in the national newspapers.

Brendan Moran of the Irish Travel Agents Association said: “We had in the past expressed concern to the commission as their advertising portrayed them as being an airline when they are not at all.

“All ITAA travel agents have got stringent review procedures on an annual basis.

“Once again the consumer has been inconvenienced and it need not have happened,” he added.

It is believed there could be advance bookings of up to 40,000 people.

“If there are high numbers of people discommoded, it will be a huge operation for the commission to undertake.

“It is difficult to say how many people could be abroad with them.”

The UK-based airline, Duo Airlines, which was planning to fly out of Shannon airport to the UK and Europe collapsed just last week.

This follows in the footsteps of Cork regional airline, JetMagic, which suspended trading in January.

parsi

Well there go my €6 down the drain...I got 3 flights at €1 e-way. Still theCC company say they will refund..

Victor

http://home.eircom.net/content/irelandcom/breaking/3188149?view=Eircomnet

Holidaymakers may not know of JetGreen collapse
From:ireland.com
Thursday, 13th May, 2004

The Commission for Aviation Regulation is still trying to establish how many passengers are stranded in Spain following the collapse of tour operator JetGreen.

JetGreen Airways, which sold low-cost flights to Alicante and Malaga on the Internet, had been using an Icelandic airline to operate the flights. It announced yesterday it had ceased trading after just eight days in operation, and it is believed JetGreen's backers have lost around €2 million.

They decided not to continue funding the operation due to poor seat sales. Just 16 JetGreen flights took off since the operator began trading.

A spokeswoman for the regulator said a team was working with the airline to establish how many people were affected by the collapse and how many are still in Spain. She said it appeared word had spread very quickly of the collapse of the airline among people in Malaga and Alicante who had expected to fly home with JetGreen.

However, she agreed it was conceivable some people who travelled to Spain with JetGreen are still unaware of the operator's collapse.

It is understood hundreds of passengers may be stranded. The aviator will examine the possibility of a charter flight to bring them home, but they may have to buy flights from another airline and claim a refund.

A bond, paid to the aviation regulator as part of the tour operator's licensing requirement, will be used to pay any claims.

Those who have bought tickets from JetGreen have been urged to establish whether they can obtain a refund from either their credit card firm or their insurance company. Where this is not possible, they may submit a claim to the Commission for Aviation Regulation. Application forms are available on the commission's website at www.aviationreg.ie

Further information on the number of passengers affected is expected to emerge later today.

Victor

http://www.rte.ie/business/2004/0514/flyjetgreen.html

JetGreen sparks regulator calls rush

May 14, 2004 18:20
The aviation regulator says passengers left in Spain following the collapse of JetGreen Airways earlier this week appear to have been successful in making alternative arrangements to return home. It says there are no reports of passengers being stranded.

Jet Green suspended its operations on Wednesday, saying it was unable to continue trading. The airline had been operating flights from Dublin to Alicante and Malaga in Spain.

The regulator's office has dealt with more than 1,000 calls and 150 e-mails since news of the company's collapse on Wednesday.


The Commission for Aviation Regulation has posted a claim form on its website www.aviationreg.ie for passengers seeking reimbursement for flights. Passengers are covered by a bond lodged with the regulator's office.

But the regulator has pointed out that flights originating from outside Ireland, including one-way or return tickets from Malaga or Alicante to Dublin, are not covered by this legislation.

http://home.eircom.net/content/unison/national/3192930?view=Eircomnet

Stranded passengers offered €75 flight home
From:The Irish Independent
Friday, 14th May, 2004

A CHARTER flight company in the North has come to the rescue of travellers stranded by the sudden collapse of the JetGreen tour operator.

Olivia Mullan's company Teleticket, in Belfast, is offering to carry stranded passengers from Malaga or Alicante to Belfast on charter flights for stg£50 (€75), including taxes and fees, over the next two weeks. Up to 200 holidaymakers were left stranded in Spain earlier this week when JetGreen collapsed within its first week of operation.

Ms Mullan said: "As soon as we heard the announcement, we sent additional staff to the two airports to see if we might help, because no one in the airline industry wants to see anyone's passengers left high and dry like this."

Passengers have been trying for the past two days to get flights home to Dublin. All flights were fully booked, with the first Aer Lingus seats available today at €240.

Victor

http://www.sbpost.ie/web/DocumentView/did-292074132-pageUrl--2FThe-Newspaper-2FSundays-Paper-2FNews.asp

Icelandic firm protected itself against collapse of JetGreen
23/05/04 00:00
By Niamh Connolly

The Icelandic airline that flew passengers for collapsed tour operator JetGreen secured a substantial upfront payment and security deposit from the firm.

Sigthor Einarsson, the managing director of Loftleidir Icelandic, said the Jet- Green collapse would have "minimal, if any" effect on Loftleidir.

"The flights operated so far had been fully paid in advance," Einarsson said.

He said Loftleidir had sought advance payment and a "substantial security deposit", because JetGreen was a start-up company and its contract involved a certain amount of risk.

JetGreen collapsed ten days ago and industry sources estimate its debts could run to €2.5 million. The costs of leasing a charter for two daily flights to Malaga and Alicante would amount to €200,000, totalling €1.6 million for the airline's eight operating days.

The company's other major expenses were its booking website and tour operator's bond which cost an estimated €500,000. The Commission for Aviation Regulation is expecting around 2,500 compensation claims from passengers out of a total of 40,000 tickets sold by Jet-Green.

Most of the company's tickets were sold for €1 each, and it is highly unlikely that such customers will claim compensation. Passengers have 60 days from the collapse of the business to lodge claims.

The tour operator's bond will cover passengers who booked in Ireland and were either left stranded in Spain or had not yet travelled. However, passengers who booked their flights in Spain are excluded from bond cover, as are ancillary costs of a holiday such as hotels and car hire.

When passengers and the Commission for Aviation Regulation have been paid, the balance of the €500,000 bond will be given to JetGreen's liquidator, which has yet to be appointed.

Businessmen Ulick and Des McEvaddy, who own aircraft leasing firm Omega Air, are creditors of JetGreen, which leased offices at their Omega House in Dublin Airport.

Loftleidir was involved in a similar leasing arrangement with FreshAer, the tour operator that collapsed last summer without getting off the ground. British businessman Colin Gervaise Brazier and aviation professional Erig Conway were involved in both JetGreen and FreshAer.