Pits wrote:
> On Aug 11, 9:16 pm, Ned
aioe.org> wrote:>> Pits wrote:
>>> On Aug 11, 3:36 pm, Ned
aioe.org> wrote:>>>> David Bennetts wrote:
>>>>>> Landing & Parking fees at more than 20 regional airports have been halved
>>>>>> and in two cases completely waived.
>>>>>> ATC charges are also being reduced by Aerothai.
>>>>>> Pity for our regionals that the Oz govt. couldn't follow this lead set by
>>>>>> Thailand.
>>>>>> Ned
>>>>> Why? Who should then pay for maintaining the airports and fattening the
>>>>> wallets of a certain bank who runs them?
>>>> Huh?????
>>>> Which bank?
>>>> Ned
>> OK PITS - I know its late - and I'll readily plead guilty to being both stoopid
>> and jetlagged - having just returned from the Kingdom.
>>
>> But can you please point me more specifically to just which in particular, out
>> of Australias 100 or so significant regional airports are the cash cows
>> fattening the wallets of a "certain bank" as claimed by David Bennetts..I assume
>> from your post, both of you are referring to MacBank??
>>
>> Ned
>
> Saswadi Kuhn Ned , And congratulations for getting out of cloud
> cuckoo land ( the Kingdom)
Khà wp khun mate - would have welcomed your local expertise at my elbow on one or
two occasions.
Interesting place alright - you'd understand the subtleties of the pollie scene
far better than a casual observer like me. I guess you heard Mrs T was sentenced
to some serious jail time but she skipped a few days ago under pretence of
attending the Olympics and AFAIK is now happily shopping in Knightsbridge. "My
wife and I will stay in England where democracy is more important," he said in a
hand-written statement released to the media -
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hXRo33yvEsDEDgqLAQ7W8pHkZTPA
> Never for moment do I and I suspect others think you are stoopid .
Hmmm - then you've not heard my teenagers opinion of some of the crap purchased
after a few icy Singhas at Reillys pub. :-)
> Turning now to your question .
>
> 1 Mac Bank has interests in some Major Aus airports. As well as
> significant overseas airport interests
> I shall assume that what David B was referring to
Then his response was not really relevant - I was referring to the major
regionals eg Coffs, Wagga, Rocky, Dubbo etc
And the need, in the national interest, to ensure that we maintain a strong
regional aviation infrastructure.
> Not sure who owns
> coffs and Townsville cairns coolie Brissie these days .but via
> nominees they may have some interest also .
>
AFAIK the Feds own most of the actual dirt - but the operators are in the main
local councils - or in the case of Cairns the Port Authority. Brissie is
operated (under a 99 year lease) by the cloggies from Schiphol, plus CBA, BCC,
Port of Bris etc.
> On the Regionals I am aware that other interests such as
> councils and individual companies also subbordinate their loans via
> the 4 pillars usually underwriten by Bank Interests such as Mac bank
> Sbc and Rabo (called syndicated loans) with the odd tranche done by
> mezzazine Finance (such as Geraldton over here )
>
> You mention say a 100 I know not of which hundred you mention .
> What
> I do know since FAC went the route of selling off airports the
> spectre of COST Recovery came in . This has caused much puss & pain to
> GA and RPT even though DOTARS tries its best but downstreams the
> paper warfare to State Governments adding another level of cost
> administration
>
> Within the Kingdom there are other dynamics at work chiefly
> corruption and vote buying and back handers back up the ministerial
> chain on who gets concessions and contracts as well as the right to
> fly into the port (with the exception of Satahip and Ubon Udorn and
> Sakorn Nakon ( military own those bases and half of Don Muang )
>
> Pick some air ports and I shall sniff out from my old finance days who
> is up who and who pays and respond in detail. As it is a worthy and
> very much on topic subject .
Phew - Had thrown the actual newspaper out and took me some time to find it
online as the BKK Post site today is given over to HM Birthday and of course the
names were quite unfamiliar to me - but here is the quote - "The fees have been
halved at Sakon Nakhon, Khon Kaen, Trang, Nakhon Phanom, Nan, Phitsanulok,
Phrae, Mae Sot, Mae Hong Son, Lampang, Loei, Surat Thani, Udon Thani, Ubon
Ratchathani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Krabi, Chumphon, Tak, Nakhon Ratchasima, Buri
Ram, Phetchabun, Roi Et and Ranong airports.
Fees have been suspended at Narathiwat and Pattani airports." HTH.
> Apologies for being a tad vague but do not have access to what you
> need from this office this week .
>
> Many regional and smallish airports that receive RPT services are
> owned by the shires and councils and I assure you just the Fire
> services alone cost a bomb as well as compliance issues and some are
> run at a loss for community benefit .
>
I know it doesn't come cheap - And well done to the councils that recognize the
need. My main point (as a bushie) was that the Feds should likewise recognize
the need to maintain and nurture strong regional aviation infrastructure - even
if it means something less than full cost recovery is achieved.
I didn't expect that to be a popular view in this largely big-smoke centric
forum so D Bennetts response came as no surprise.
The Thai move was said to be an attempt to alleviate the impact of current fuel
prices on regional operators. I've no idea of their avfuel prices but unleaded
91 octane at the servos was IIRC around 30 baht/litre.
> Ours for example is being upgraded from an ALA to a higher status so
> as to receive heavy Charter to support 4 new mines and trust me its
> going to cost a bomb
> just to take the Jet brassies ( 280,000 for fire fighting foam and
> appliances alone ) 500,000 for a shed & toilets and a bit more to
> add another 900 metres + over runs
>
> but will get the good oil from 4 airports over here that heading to
> up to Sunday
>
>
> On another subject what did you think of the new BKK airport ?
Pretty good actually - been in/out of there twice in recent months. Passport
control a bit slow but Thai check-in brilliant, with the number of open counters
almost outnumbering pax @ 6am.
Thai flights slightly disappointing this time compared to earlier experience -
mainly due to unexpectedly drawing older aircraft on two sectors, but operated
to schedule.
And Thai cabin service still streets ahead of say UAL. God only knows why
Snapper dispatched his missus off across the Pacific with them if, as he seems
so concerned, comfort was of importance. For the same money she could have been
enjoying more legroom, more seat width, power ports and individual in seat
entertainment in a sparkling new triple 7 with AC. But I digress.
Cheers
Ned
