On Aug 12, 12:30Â pm, Ned
aioe.org> wrote:> 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? Â 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 Â 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.
No Bloody wonder (tongue in Cheek) few things that go bang down that
way at the moment !
>
>> 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.
Mate the Thais lie like blazes drill deeper there *will* be
another agenda I will give you odds on .
Even if only for the current Government to appear to be doing
something .
>
Snip
>
>> On another subject what did you think of the new BKK airport ?
>
> Pretty good actually - been in/out of there twice in recent months.
Glutton for punishment eh :)
> 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
Ant flight on any airline one enjoys aint half bad eh .
Maybe old snapper is evening up with the missus over something :)
United ( shudder)
