Κομπίνα στον ΕΟΤ: Τα τελευταία σκηνικά πριν το πρώτο «φινάλε»

Άλλη μία ανακεφαλαίωση για την πολύκροτη, πια, υπόθεση της κομπίνας που πήγε να στηθεί εις βάρος του ΕΟΤ. Κατ’ αρχάς η διαπίστωση ότι όπως φαίνεται από την ανακοίνωση της Αστυνομίας, η εμπλοκή και μάλιστα σε «πρωταγωνιστικό» ρόλο του συμβούλου του πρώην γ.γ. θεωρείται βεβαία. Περιμένουμε να δούμε τι θα πει ο ίδιος αύριο στον ανακριτή.

Μετά, ήρθε η δήλωση Ν. Καραχάλιου, ο οποίος εξακολουθεί να βλέπει «πόλεμο εξόντωσης»εναντίον του επειδή, κατά την άποψή του, ήθελε να διερευνήσει το θέμα της λογιστικής «τρύπας»των 12 εκατ. ευρώ. Τη συγκεκριμένη υπόθεση της απάτης, την χαρακτηρίζει «σοβαρή», πλην«ερασιτεχνική» μπροστά «στα επαγγελματικά κυκλώματα που θέλουν αδιαφάνεια στον ΕΟΤ».

Το πρωί τοποθετήθηκε και ο Σύλλογος Υπαλλήλων του Οργανισμού και έχει δύο ενδιαφέροντα σημεία η ανακοίνωση αυτή. Τον τρόπο συμπεριφοράς του συλληφθέντος συμβούλου, από πριν ακόμα προσληφθεί ως τέτοιος (είχαμε κάνει και εμείς κάποιες αναφορές τότε) που απαιτούσε πρόσβαση σε έγγραφα, αρχεία και διαδικασίες του Οργανισμού, η απαίτηση να γίνει αποδέκτης των κινήσεων των λογαριασμών (τα extre) και το «κομβικής» σημασίας θέμα για εμάς, ότι τα μπλοκ των επιταγών του παραδόθηκαν «κατόπιν ισχυρών πιέσεων της Διοίκησης».

Ανακεφαλαιώνοντας και εν αναμονή των απολογιών την Παρασκευή, έχουμε και λέμε:

• Η εμπλοκή του συμβούλου του Ν. Καραχάλιου, Κ. Βασιλάκου, προκύπτει από τις μαρτυρίες των άλλων κατηγορούμενων.
• Ένα ερώτημα προς διερεύνηση, είναι γιατί είχε τα μπλοκ των επιταγών στα χέρια του, με ποιου εντολή και γιατί χωρίς να υπάρχει κάποιο “πρωτόκολλο” παράδοσης-παραλαβής από τις οικονομικές υπηρεσίες.
• Το αν το στέλεχος της επίμαχης επιταγής, κόπηκε μετά την παραλαβή των μπλοκ ή αν είχε κοπεί πριν.
• Πώς και γιατί επελέγησαν οι επιχειρήσεις και τα πρόσωπα που οπισθογράφησαν την επιταγή.

Εμείς κρατάμε και σήμερα την επισήμανση ότι κάτι δεν μας πάει καλά σε όλο αυτό, καθώς η ειδική εικόνα που έχουμε παραπέμπει σε πολύ ερασιτεχνική δολοπλοκία.

Εκτός αν υπάρχει κάποιος χαμένος “κρίκος” στην όλη εξέλιξη που δεν γνωρίζουμε αυτήν τη στιγμή...

Κατά τα άλλα, το θέμα ξέφυγε από την ελληνική επικράτεια και συμπεριλαμβάνεται στη σημερινή ειδησεογραφία σε sites που ειδικεύονται στα διεθνή τουριστικά θέματα, όπως βλέπετε στην παραπάνω φωτό...

tourism lobby

The travel industry can expect a healthy upswing in the coming year, according to a recent survey conducted by The GO Group, LLC., which provides ground transportation at more than 50 airports, and GO Airport Express, which provides airport shuttles to and from O'Hare International Airport and Midway Airport.

When travelers were asked to project their travel plans for 2013, 23% of respondents stated they intend to travel more frequently compared to 2012. The survey covered some 374 shuttle passengers from around the country.

Just 7 percent of participants said they planned on traveling less in 2013 and slightly less than 50 percent noted they will travel the same amount. Twelve percent said they didn't know yet how frequently they would be traveling in the new year."This is good news for the hospitality industry, for business and for the overall U.S. economy," saysJohn McCarthy, president of GO Airport Express and The GO Group.  "The US tourism and travel industry makes up a large part of US GDP and employment."
"I'd like to think the money our customers are saving on ground transportation is allowing them to travel more," he adds.

The GO Group is one-stop source for door-to-door airport shuttle services, operating in more than 50 airports. Each year, its members transport some 13 million passengers to and from airports in the United States, Mexico, Canada and Europe.

GO Airport Express, one of the oldest companies in Chicago, Ill., traces its founding to 1853 and the Parmelee Transportation Company, which provided a carriage service between Chicago's railroad stations and the downtown hotels. It is a founding member of The GO Group, LLC.

Virgin America Introduces New Food Menu For Winter Travelers

Virgin America, the California–based airline known for its award–winning cuisine, today announces its new seasonal winter menu.  The airline refreshes its offerings quarterly to provide travelers with a wide range of seasonal and locally–sourced food options.  The latest menu update includes a new selection of specialty cocktails — and to toast Virgin America’s new partnership with The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas (the newest luxury resort located in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip) – the airline is featuring a signature Cosmopolitan cocktail onboard all flights.   Virgin America is also debuting a brand new selection of “Travel Light” menu items like the roasted Portobello wrap and Tuna Nicoise Salad curated by Gilt Taste and even a gluten free snack, Kuko Bites – all natural cookies made with goji berries, seeds, nuts, dried fruit and cacao nibs.   The latest “Travel Light” menu options list nutritional content and calorie count for those guests trying to watch their waistline during the holiday season and includes both fresh food items as well as snack options — like the delicious 479° Popcorn Sea Salt Carmel.  In First Class, flyers onboard Virgin America will also enjoy a selection of delicious new menu offerings including the yellow beet and citrus salad, followed by a char grilled Wagyu beef burger served with a side of warm German style potato salad, and finished with L’Artisan French macaroons.  

Transaero Airlines and UTair Aviation Sign Multilateral Agreement on Interline Connections via Vnukovo International Airport

Transaero Airlines has taken an important step to enhance travel possibilities for its passengers at Vnukovo airport through a multilateral agreement signed with UTair Aviation on establishment of interline connections and application of through fares for transportation via Vnukovo Airport in Moscow. Vnukovo Airport and Transport Clearing House are also participants in the agreement. Combining the route network potentials of Transaero and UTair, already the leading flight operators at Vnukovo Airport, creates an extraordinary level connecting flight opportunities in the interests of the majority of passengers using the airport.

Passengers of both airlines will now be able to take advantage of special through fare rates for connections at the new Terminal A at Vnukovo to dozens of cities in Russia, the CIS, the US and Western Europe.

The multilateral agreement also enhances the potential of Vnukovo Airport where Transaero Airlines is to establish yet another transit center in Moscow. Today Transaero operates flights to 13 destinations from Vnukovo, including St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Astana, Almaty, Tel Aviv, Rome, Milan, Paris, London, Pardubice, Barcelona and Vienna. In the near future, Transaero will launch flights to New York, Miami, and Frankfurt, as well as to destinations in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine from the airport. New domestic routes will also be included in this route expansion, the first of which will be to Novosibirsk.

UK holidaymakers urged to pack peace of mind when booking

Millions of UK holidaymakers can book their 2013 breaks with the peace of mind that their money is safe, thanks to the ATOL holiday protection scheme.

The scheme is there to protect people against the risk of their travel company going bust: ensuring they can continue their holiday and return home safely if the company collapses whilst they are away; or providing refunds if they’re yet to travel. And with January being the travel industry’s busiest month of the year, the scheme will give millions of UK holidaymakers peace of mind that their hard-earned holiday will not be lost.

In the past holidaymakers have been confused about whether they have protection or not, with nearly half of people surveyed by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) unsure if their previous holidays had been ATOL-protected.

But thanks to the introduction of the ATOL certificate in October 2012, that confusion should be a thing of the past. Anyone who books an ATOL-protected air holiday will receive an ATOL certificate from their travel company as soon as they make any payment. The certificate tells them what is protected, who is protecting it and what to do if something goes wrong.

Aviation Minister Simon Burns said: “Millions of travellers can now rest assured they are better protected whilst on holiday as the new ATOL certificate will without doubt make it clear how their trip is covered. The certificate is a standard travel document that families should now be expecting alongside their flight tickets and holiday details.

“It's only very occasionally that holidays go wrong, but smart planning combined with the ATOL certificate can make all the difference in helping holidaymakers return home with minimal problems and expense."

Dame Deirdre Hutton, Chair of the CAA, said: “We’re expecting over two million holidaymakers to book ATOL-protected trips this January, and these people can be assured that their money is safe even if their travel company collapses.

“They will also receive an ATOL certificate, which will make it absolutely clear to them how their holiday is protected. This is a really important document and holidaymakers should make sure they keep it handy on their trip so they have proof of their protection and the information they need if something goes wrong.”

Anyone wishing to book an ATOL-protected air holiday can check if a company provides protection by looking for the ATOL logo on their promotional material, or searching the company’s name at www.packpeaceofmind.com. More information about what’s covered by the scheme and how the ATOL certificate works is also available from this site.

People booking trips not covered by the ATOL scheme such as those without flights or holidays booked directly with airlines, should seek alternative methods of protection such as insurance or paying with their credit card.

GOLDAIR GROUP OF COMPANIES: 2012 Annual Report

In an extraordinarily difficult period for Greek society and economy, the Goldair Group of Companies, setting as a basic principle the protection and preservation of its existing employment positions, continues its prudent and reasonable growth strategy in all its activities, namely in the tourism sector, airport ground handling, cargo and logistics.

There were many important steps regarding Goldair Handling growth both in Greece and abroad over the past year.

In less than 12 months Goldair Handling inaugurated and set into full operation 8 additional airports in the Greek territory. This is an investment of € 7m, consolidating the company's leading position in the Greek ground handling market as well as stimulating the local economy and labor market in a number of tourist destinations including Volos, Alexandroupolis, Ioannina, Lemnos, Paros, Skyros, Araxos, and Karpathos. With these new stations Goldair Handling is now present in a total of 26 commercial airports in Greece.

Along with the opening of new stations, the company increased its market share thanks to the expansion of cooperation contracts with major customers including Lufthansa, Cyprus, Turkish, Air France, and Aegean Airlines, with which cooperation has been extended to Alexandroupolis, Rhodes, and Mytilene beyond Athens and Thessaloniki airports.

With the current structure of its network and client base, the company employs 1,700 people in Greece and serves 66,000 flights, 11 million passengers, and 31 million tons of cargo.
In addition, the company continues its presence abroad in Cyprus and Bulgaria. With the opening of the Burgas airport on the Black Sea, a total of four airports abroad are serviced (Larnaca, Paphos, Sofia and Burgas).

The total investment to date of Goldair Handling exceeds € 80m. Within the year that ends in a few days, Goldair Handling has also faced particular difficulties relating to the following: First, very high operating costs at Eleftherios Venizelos airport due to excessive charges. Second, the phenomenon that a great number of foreign airlines have stopped flying from Greece. Third, the exclusion of Goldair Handling employees from seasonal employees subsidy programs, which in winter are covered by unemployment benefits (as is done in hotels). Fourth, the exclusion of Ground Handling in the Development Law (as has been done with many other touristic professions). Fifth, heightened competition leading to a significant decline in revenues along with a great lack of liquidity and high interest rates in Greece, which can cause a self-funded company great problems.

Goldair Cargo, having completed a big part of its investments in the previous years, succeeded in 2012, despite the extremely difficult market conditions on liquidity and high interest rates, to enhance its presence in the Greek market by broadening its customer base through a strong network for groupage shipments for all European cities, which the company has built via large investments.

Goldair Cargo has contributed significantly in the support of all exporting firms having weekly scheduled groupage dispatches for all major European cities (28 destinations with 3,500 central area codes in total). It has managed to strengthen its position in the global ranking of the IATA Ranking List, creating and offering specific airfreight services to large exporting businesses, helping the competitiveness of Greek products.

Finally, the company has concluded a cooperation agreement for integrated sea freight services and logistics (sea-logistics) with Cyprus.
Goldair represents more than 24 foreign airline companies both for passengers and cargo transportation, while Goldair Tourism strengthens its position in the Business Travel field through the establishment of the new Corporate Travel Services department plus a comprehensive network of services specifically designed to completely meet the needs of the shipping industry. At the same time, Goldair Congress has signed an agreement for the Association Management of the I.A.O.O and E.S.P.R.M (International Academy of Oral  Oncology & European Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine) for all foreign countries.

Goldeco has been active in the area of renewable energy sources by actively contributing in the protection of the environment. Within 2012 it has developed and operates a roof photovoltaic park of 1 MW in Aspropyrgos. Goldeco has in its construction portfolio projects of 4,3 MW power relating to a hydroelectric power project, in Serres 2,5 MW in a Biogas Plant, in the prefecture of Trikala power of 1.5 MW, and in one of our photovoltaic parks in Aspropyrgos power 300 KW. These projects are planned to be implemented within 2013.

Today, Goldair Group and its associated companies employ more than 2,300 employees in Greece, while about 700 are employed abroad.

Air Arabia awarded ISO certification in Information Technology Service Management

Air Arabia, the first and largest low-cost carrier (LCC) in the Middle East and North Africa, announced that it has been awarded the ISO/IEC 20000-1: 2011 certificate in IT Service Management System
in recognition of high standards the company has achieved in implementing world class information technology services.
The ISO/IEC 20000-1 certification has been awarded following a rigorous auditing process that British Standards Institution (BSI) has carried out, ensuring that Air Arabia’s IT service management systems operate to the highest possible standards. This is a reflection of Air Arabia’s commitment to establish a culture of continual improvement and learning within its IT department. 
The ISO/IEC 20000-1 certification further demonstrates the company’s high levels of efficiency in service provision and the ability to continuously improve the delivery of IT services in accordance with the development in the IT industry and the company requirements. 
Commenting on the occasion, Adel Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia Group, said, “Obtaining the ISO 20000 certification in IT Service Management System testifies our commitment for ongoing improvement and for sharing knowledge and innovation within the organisation. It is with great delight that we accept this prestigious certificate from BSI, which further consolidates our efforts to enhance the quality of services we provide.” 
Theuns Kotze, Regional Managing Director for Middle East and Africa, BSI, said, “This great achievement is a strong stepping stone for Air Arabia towards excellence and innovation. ISO/IEC 20000 registration demonstrates that Air Arabia has adequate controls and procedures in place to consistently deliver a cost effective, quality IT service. I would like to congratulate the entire project team, senior management and all staff members who were involved in this project.”

AirAsia becomes first operator of Airbus’ Sharklet equipped A320

Airbus has delivered the first A320 equipped with Sharklets today to AirAsia, which becomes the first operator of the new fuel-saving large wing tip devices. Sharklets are an option on new-build A320 Family aircraft, and are standard on all members of the A320neo Family.
 
Sharklets are made from light-weight composites and are 2.4 metres tall. These newly designed wing-tip devices reduce fuel burn and emissions by improving the aerodynamics of the aircraft significantly. Cutting airlines’ fuel bills by around four percent, Sharklets will offer the flexibility to A320 Family operators of either adding around 100 nautical miles more range or allowing increased payload capability of up to 450 kilogrammes.
 
“We are extremely proud to be the first airline in the world to take delivery of an A320 fitted with Airbus’ new, fuel saving Sharklets,” said Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, Group Chief Executive Officer of AirAsia . “AirAsia has a long-standing, special relationship with Airbus and as we grow our network with our all A320 fleet, these new wing tip devices will contribute to fulfilling our goal of being the most efficient, innovative low cost airline in the world.”
 
“As our biggest A320 Family airline customer, it’s very fitting that AirAsia is the first carrier to benefit from the four percent fuel saving our new Sharklets deliver,” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers. “AirAsia’s vision is to make is possible for everyone to fly and now with their Sharklet-equipped A320s they can assure their passengers that they are also travelling on board the world’s most environmentally friendly single-aisle aircraft.”
 
Due to the very strong customer demand for Sharklets, all Airbus’ single-aisle final assembly lines (FALs) will be engaged in building A320 Family aircraft with Sharklets. These FALs are located in Toulouse (France), Hamburg (Germany) and Tianjin (China) and will soon be followed by an additional A320 FAL in Mobile (Alabama, USA).
 
AirAsia, the largest low cost airline in Asia is also Airbus’ largest A320 Family airline customer. The carrier recently placed a new order with Airbus on the 13th December 2012 for 100 more A320 Family aircraft including 36 A320ceo aircraft with Sharklets. Altogether, AirAsia has ordered 475 single aisle aircraft from Airbus, comprising 264 A320neo and 211 A320ceo. Over 100 aircraft have already been delivered to the airline and are flying out of its bases in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Manila and Tokyo.

Cathay Pacific statement on successful resolution to sponsored FAU talks

Cathay Pacific confirms that talks sponsored by the Labour Department between the company and the Flight Attendants Union (FAU) have resolved the outstanding differences between the two parties. 

Chief Executive John Slosar said: “This is the best possible outcome for our customers, who have always been at the forefront of this issue for us. They can now look forward to their holiday travel plans with confidence.”

General Manager Cabin Crew Liza Ng said: “The agreement we reached today addresses issues important to the company and the crew. It is incumbent upon the company to always ensure its long-term success when discussing short-term issues. We were able to accomplish that today.”

The resulting agreement includes: 
- A commitment that all destinations will remain available to Hong Kong based crew, 
- That crew based outside Hong Kong will not exceed 15 percent of total cabin crew staffing, 
- That outport based crew can only operate based routes between outport bases, and 
- That a minimum of 50 percent of overall flights on based routes will be operated by Hong Kong based crew. 
- This part of the agreement being valid for a period of two years beginning 1 January 2013.

Additionally, the company and the FAU jointly agreed on changes to some lifestyle issues deemed important to cabin crew. For example, regarding late night flights and specific patterns, Cathay Pacific will trial some new initiatives including service flow and enhanced rest times.

According to Mr. Slosar: “This is a good agreement for the company. It allows us to expand our business here at home, bringing even more services to the people of Hong Kong. Specifically, we maintain the flexibility we need to offer what our customers want us to provide.” 

He continued: “Beyond that, we were able to look after the interests of the broader cabin crew community in terms of addressing lifestyle issues, which is important because we must keep the interests of all staff at heart. And we have demonstrated that we will listen to staff concerns and respond with appropriate solutions.”

Mr. Slosar concluded: “We are very grateful to the Labour Department for sponsoring these talks and keeping the parties focused on a resolution that protected the interests of the travelling public. We’re now ready to redouble our efforts to ensure a pleasant experience for all of our customers over the holidays.”

EU and EUROCONTROL sign agreement on enhanced cooperation

On the sidelines of the Transport Council meeting , the European Union and the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation (EUROCONTROL) signed an agreement establishing a new and stable framework for enhanced cooperation (13792/12).
The agreement, which lists the areas of cooperation and defines the forms and mechanisms of cooperation, confirms EUROCONTROL as the technical and operational arm of the EU in the development and implementation of its Single European Sky (SES) programme, while positioning the EU as the regulator of this programme.

It also provides a framework for civil-military coordination of air traffic management and for pan-European coordination beyond the EU borders. Moreover, it will enable the EU to contribute to the ongoing reform of EUROCONTROL's governance structure.

In addition, the agreement aims to ensure synergies with, and avoid duplication of, the work of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in safety-related air traffic management matters and environmental issues.

EUROCONTROL is a civil-military intergovernmental organisation with 39 contracting parties from all over Europe, including all EU member states except Estonia. It plays a pivotal role in air traffic management (ATM) in Europe and provides expertise and technical assistance to the EU in this field.
Last year, EUROCONTROL was nominated as ATM network manager for the Single European Sky programme, which is designed to establish a safe and efficient air traffic management system at European level on the basis of a legal framework adopted in 2004 and 2009.