UK based CTA ex-employees accuse TRNC government of being “inhumane”

malsancak


Joined: 23/08/2009
Posts: 2874

Message Posted:
20/01/2011 23:11

Letter from the CTA employees in London: "at no time since the cessation of flights have we received any communication, explanations, information or offers of support from our ex employers, the ministry of transport..." read more at http://www.northcyprusfreepress.com/2011/01/20/uk-based-turkish-cypriot-cta-ex-employees-accuse-trnc-government-of-being-inhumane/

andy-f


Joined: 03/05/2009
Posts: 1256

Message Posted:
20/01/2011 23:27

i aint surprised they treated there customers the same . i wont touch this new airline with a barge pole as we are customers who where left high and dry in july with its demise . pegasus or turkish into ercan only and monarch into larnaca only for us.

Maz


Joined: 29/03/2009
Posts: 1924

Message Posted:
20/01/2011 23:56

Thanks Mal for putting the press release on here. I was going to do so, but am no good at 'links'. Everyone should read this emotive letter and see how it is not so much a case of a national airline failing, but the greater story is the failure of the people that matter showing that everyone matters.



But will anything be done? Doubt it - no more than anything is done about property matters. But maybe it is difficult for the government to do anything when it is struggling to be recognised as a country.

Quarmby


Joined: 15/09/2008
Posts: 975

Message Posted:
21/01/2011 00:17

If the government are incapable of sorting out their domestic problems,there is little hope of them sorting out their external difficulties.

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
21/01/2011 07:59

The old airline was a dead man walking for all of its existence. The business model of employing family and friends in numbers that outweigh the profitability and expecting Government handouts to offset the shortfall is simply bonkers.

There is nothing about the new outfit that persuades me that it is going to be any better.

The declaration that they are not in it to make profits does not bode well for the future of this venture.

They have set their stall out... 'please give us some money - so we can squander it'

We won't be buying any tickets until they turn a decent profit. Which should be in about..... never!

Jovial_John


Joined: 31/01/2009
Posts: 1024

Message Posted:
21/01/2011 08:26

Groucho:

A further disincentive is the fact that the private investors have been told that they would have no say in the running of the airline. That's why 'Mr. Near East' (sorry I don't know his name) pulled out. That really worries me - he is a sharp cookie - a bit like TRNC's answer to Richard Branson. Given some authority he would have made it work - but he wouldn't even get a say



On the original topic:

I remember the day the bankruptcy was announced when all the CTA employees went to rally in Lefkosa and their passengers were left to fend for themselves at Ercan with no-one to even tell them what had happened. Had the CTA staff been a bit more helpful then I might feel a bit more sympathy for them now.

yorgozlu



Joined: 16/06/2009
Posts: 4437

Message Posted:
21/01/2011 09:43

Scary to think how much 'profit' they'd have made every year if borders were closed,let alone going bust!



Then again,thats none of yours problem,innit?

malsancak


Joined: 23/08/2009
Posts: 2874

Message Posted:
21/01/2011 11:29

Jovial_John, the letter is from the UK employees, not local ones. They did everything they could to help passengers despite not being told by their employees what was going on.

So far, North Cyprus Airline seems not to have actually launched (or I missed it) despite being officially established. They say they have flights starting in 6 weeks and, I guess, if you enquire to book you'll be told that they'll put you on a list. We all know that North Cyprus ticket prices tend to get more expensive as you approach the flight date and so who is going to risk being told a few days before they fly that the flight is cancelled?

TinLondon


Joined: 20/07/2009
Posts: 171

Message Posted:
21/01/2011 13:37

It seems like a case of crying over spilt milk.... The reason for the collapse of KTHY / CTA was all down to bad management, poor marketing and service. I think Pegasus have proven that there is some sort of business case to run an airline in to the north and they seem to be able to do it reasonably well. What I don't understand is how the newly formed airline, North Cyprus Airlines Ltd (btw, this name is already registered in the UK to someone else) is going to be able to provide a decent service to 11 destinations with just 3 planes? It looks like the new airline is looking at hiring the old 'happy faces' of KTHY and their expertise in how not to run an airline and with no website up and running yet, i really think they have missed the boat (or plane) for this summer's bookings.



I know many of you disapprove flying in to the south but if this is the only way the north will see additional tourist then I see no problem with that! North / South.... We need to move on!

malsancak


Joined: 23/08/2009
Posts: 2874

Message Posted:
21/01/2011 14:01

TinLondon, I think it's a case of more government employees getting the sort of treatment we thought was reserved for property victims. Put yourself in the shoes of someone with 30 years of service, about to retire, being not just badly treated but being totally ignored. Heart attack material!

TRNCVaughan


Joined: 27/04/2008
Posts: 4578

Message Posted:
21/01/2011 14:05

Yorg,

msg 7,



It's called competition, buddy.

Isn't it your honest concern that even with closed borders and a captive market, CTA still wouldn't have turned a profit? They would have had to raise the prices of tickets so high that no-one would have flown in or out of TRNC.

It would probably have been cheaper to get a ferry to Turkey and catch a flight there.

flightholiday


Joined: 19/07/2007
Posts: 3217

Message Posted:
21/01/2011 14:27

John Msg - 6

The UK staff worked for many days after the cessation of CTA flights trying to assist clients. They were still fighting with the help of a union to get confirmation that they have lost their jobs etc etc when I last talked with one of them a few weeks ago. They are out of work and many relying on their spouses to try to keep their homes. In this regard Malcolm is largely right in Msg 8.

By the way - The UK staff were the ones who were making some turnover/profits for the airline and in total there were around 20/25 of them. Most of the UK KTHY staff had been working there for many, many years and have lost almost everything, they have been ignored by their bosses and worst of all have lost much of their pride in doing a hard job as well as they could in restrictive circumstances.

malsancak


Joined: 23/08/2009
Posts: 2874

Message Posted:
21/01/2011 14:50

flightholiday, have North Cyprus Airline approached you yet to sell tickets for 5 weeks time?

flightholiday


Joined: 19/07/2007
Posts: 3217

Message Posted:
21/01/2011 15:09

Malcolm Msg 13 - ?

malsancak


Joined: 23/08/2009
Posts: 2874

Message Posted:
21/01/2011 16:22

flight, NCA is supposed to be running flights from 5 weeks time, I was wondering if anyone knew where they were for sale? Perhaps you don't sell plane tickets, I'll ask Ankara Travel.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Cyprus_Airlines

yorgozlu



Joined: 16/06/2009
Posts: 4437

Message Posted:
21/01/2011 16:26

TRNCVaughan-re11



The whole point in my comments in msg7 was to point out to most that,they hardly used/use ercan airport to fly in-out,so for a community like that I suppose what I was saying in black and white was,'you got a cheek to moan/critisize when you don't even use it'!



As for in respect of "competition",you might not be aware but southern cyprus is another country,unles of course 'you' used to travel to France(example) to catch a flight for whatever reason.



In the meantime,I do not blame anyone for using south because of it's practiciality,just don't think you have the right to moan for something you don't even use.

Bradus


Joined: 25/02/2007
Posts: 2641

Message Posted:
21/01/2011 16:39

I think you will find that most people used it initially Yorgozulu. This experience unfortunately resulted in people moving over to Pegasus and Larnaca.



We most certainly do have a right to comment being customers that tasted and paid for the service.



People use Larnaca not just because its practical but also because its a more reliable and financially viable service.

You only have to research the goings on in the construction industry, tourist industry and CTA to arrive at the conclusion that "business management" is certainly not a strength of the TRNC.



However they are dab hands at recruitment, especially friends and family.

malsancak


Joined: 23/08/2009
Posts: 2874

Message Posted:
21/01/2011 16:53

Yorg, I used Ercan/Gecikale for 8 years until CTA stranded my family and 4 grandchildren last year and the TRNC government couldn't care less.

yorgozlu



Joined: 16/06/2009
Posts: 4437

Message Posted:
21/01/2011 16:57

Bradus (copied/pasted)



>>>I think you will find that most people used it initially Yorgozulu. This experience unfortunately resulted in people moving over to Pegasus and Larnaca. <<<.....copied/pasted also.....!



But 'you' don't now and have stopped using it long before it went bust.



"We most certainly do have a right to comment"



Agreed..........because 'you' do support the economy after all..............



yorgozlu(copied/pasted)..............getting good with this technical gadgets,aren't I?

yorgozlu



Joined: 16/06/2009
Posts: 4437

Message Posted:
21/01/2011 17:01

malsancak-re18;



I wasn't targetting anyone in particular but being general.

I also know few Brits that refuses to fly from south,because they don't live there. .......patriotic or what?

flightholiday


Joined: 19/07/2007
Posts: 3217

Message Posted:
21/01/2011 18:21

Malcolm Msg 15 - the question mark in message 14 was a whole conversation for you.

I am not known for short answers and you have proved why I am normally verbose and specific.



a] Flightholiday do sell flights world wide and specialise in the TRNC

b] IAH (the parent of flightholiday) sells tours specialising in North Cyprus and Turkey

c] At flightholiday we also provide pet transport

d] IAH have yet to be informed of what the airline is thinking about or trying to do so while it is a “figment of fertile imaginations” a ? is the right answer is it not?