AIRPORT--Despite statements by Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams and Michael Ferrier that the board members of Winair have agreed to voluntarily resign, the members have not done so thus far and, according to well-placed sources, have no intention to do so either.
Ferrier, who was acting on behalf of the PM who is also shareholder representative of Winair, last week announced that the members of the Supervisory Board of Winair have been asked to tender their resignation in a move that should facilitate the establishment of a change in the management team, a new management and operational structure in an effort to rescue the financially strapped airline.
Ferrier said he met with Dutch Representative Lars Walrave and the board last week Thursday at which time the resignation request was made. Walrave represents the shares of Saba and Statia.
According to Ferrier, the board complied with the request. The current board members are Fernando William, Melissa Doncher and Vernon Jacobs. Winair also has a representative from Saba on its board. That person was not addressed by St. Maarten as "we didn't appoint her," Ferrier said.
It is understood that board members are questioning the reasons that the PM and Ferrier asking them to resign before their terms are up. Government, to date, has also not sought the advice of the Corporate Governance Council on its resignation request to the board members.
Ferrier is at the head of a fact-finding team that was appointed by the Prime Minister to get hold of the precarious situation at Winair. This team also includes financial and aviation expert Robert Gibbs formerly of the Execl Aviation Group that was interested in purchasing Winair; Michael Cleaver, a veteran former airline executive with American Airlines and attorney Jeroen Veen.
The report that was compiled by this team and echoed by the Dutch aviation expert that was dispatched to St. Maarten in October 2010 to study Winair, concluded that in order for Winair to regain operational profitability the airline must, as a start, go back to its core calling of servicing minimal destinations (Saba, Statia, St. Barths) before expanding to new destinations.
Additionally, Ferrier said the report outlined that Winair must find ways to increase income structurally, decrease expenditures structurally, re-examine the type of aircraft it utilises and how many aircraft it has in service and what the airline realistically requires in terms of human resources.
Belarus Dubai Butterflies Italy Lisa Allardice Private equity
No comments:
Post a Comment