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1. Ansett Airlines, the best and worst of times
ANNE Lewis knew the Ansett Airlines collapse had faded from most minds when people stopped moaning to her about the frequent flyer points they'd lost.
But 10 years on from one of the most painful corporate failures in Australian history, the former flight attendant, and thousands of other Ansett employees, are still trying to comprehend the collapse of the company they loved.
At reunions around Australia in the past month, former staff have got together to remember -- and to cheer each other up.
They will also spare a moment for colleagues who didn't make it through the collapse of the company -- at least 40 suicided following the airline's failure. "Most of us have moved forward," Ms Lewis said. "We've all suffered, but the way the administrators have handled things has given us the best outcome under the circumstances.
"And we can all be happy that we did our best, we loved our jobs, our company. It was the difference between us and Qantas. We loved the fact we were trained to go beyond the minimum standards of service."
Ms Lewis still works in the aviation industry, a choice that constantly brings on pangs of nostalgia. "It was very difficult at first, and difficult to cope with other people's reactions," she said. "But I started coming to terms with the situation when people finally stopped telling me about all the frequent flyer points they had lost."
A reunion for Adelaide staff will no doubt rekindle memories for Ms Lewis of better days, and of worse. "I honestly couldn't understand it when I heard what had happened," Ms Lewis said.
"On the day that Ansett closed down I got a call to say not to bother coming in, the airline had folded. But I still got dressed in my uniform and went to work.
"The doors were closed and there was security people there to stop us going in, but it was the only thing I could think of to do."
By the time Australia's second biggest airline went into administration, Ms Lewis had moved up the management ladder -- but she had barely an inkling of what was ahead. Only a week earlier, chief executive Gary Toomey had called senior staff together to tell them of a few problems, but insisted they would be overcome.
"I suppose I should have realised," Ms Lewis said. "A couple of days before the announcement I was on a flight and there was an issue because the refuellers were told not to refuel Ansett planes because the bill hadn't been paid."
The demise of Ansett was on the cards well before that. Exactly how long before is a question that may never be resolved.
The finger has been pointed at, among others, former chief executive Peter Abeles, Ansett's parent Air New Zealand, the trade unions and Qantas.
Former chief executive Rod Eddington is diplomatic in his assessment. "Described Ansett publicly and internally as a great airline, but a poor business.
"Qantas had a fleet that was all Boeings. Ansett had a Noah's Ark fleet -- one of almost every aircraft known to man. The disadvantages of that are obvious."
It also had a stable non-core businesses, including a Barrier Reef island, a credit card company, an insurance company and a trucking business, which Sir Rod set about selling when he took over in early 1997.
Despite the numerous shortcomings, Sir Rod, who later became chief executive of British Airways, said Ansett was only one deal away from being saved.
The missed opportunity was the Singapore Airlines offer to buy the 50 per cent share of Ansett then held by Rupert Murdoch's News Limited.
''Air New Zealand trumped the $500 million Singapore Airlines bid, putting up $680m for half of Ansett. Air New Zealand didn't have the balance sheet to support Ansett," Sir Rod said.
For the 15,000 Ansett employees who lost their jobs and faced possible loss of their entitlements, the 10th anniversary has arrived with reasonable news.
Administrator KordaMentha last month finalised the sale of the last Ansett asset, its spare parts business, which realised $5.3m.
The sale brought the returns achieved by the administrator to $727.5m, or 96c in the dollar.
"The Ansett collapse produced enormous pain and hardship to thousands of Australian families. This payment doesn't ease the pain, but it can bring closure," administrator Mark Korda said.
The Ansett Group administration was the largest ever in Australia, Mr Korda said.
Its comparative success rested on the decision to avoid a fire sale of assets when the global aviation industry was at a low ebb immediately after September 11, 2001.
For those who were part of an airline that grew into a Australia's second biggest, carrying more than 14 million passengers a year, it is difficult to get past the fact that it ended up with a lot less than the one Fokker Universal aircraft with which it had begun 66 years earlier.
Aviation NEWS By
Neha Jain
Aviation NEWS Reporter
1. Ansett Airlines, the best and worst of times
ANNE Lewis knew the Ansett Airlines collapse had faded from most minds when people stopped moaning to her about the frequent flyer points they'd lost.
But 10 years on from one of the most painful corporate failures in Australian history, the former flight attendant, and thousands of other Ansett employees, are still trying to comprehend the collapse of the company they loved.
At reunions around Australia in the past month, former staff have got together to remember -- and to cheer each other up.
They will also spare a moment for colleagues who didn't make it through the collapse of the company -- at least 40 suicided following the airline's failure. "Most of us have moved forward," Ms Lewis said. "We've all suffered, but the way the administrators have handled things has given us the best outcome under the circumstances.
"And we can all be happy that we did our best, we loved our jobs, our company. It was the difference between us and Qantas. We loved the fact we were trained to go beyond the minimum standards of service."
Ms Lewis still works in the aviation industry, a choice that constantly brings on pangs of nostalgia. "It was very difficult at first, and difficult to cope with other people's reactions," she said. "But I started coming to terms with the situation when people finally stopped telling me about all the frequent flyer points they had lost."
A reunion for Adelaide staff will no doubt rekindle memories for Ms Lewis of better days, and of worse. "I honestly couldn't understand it when I heard what had happened," Ms Lewis said.
"On the day that Ansett closed down I got a call to say not to bother coming in, the airline had folded. But I still got dressed in my uniform and went to work.
"The doors were closed and there was security people there to stop us going in, but it was the only thing I could think of to do."
By the time Australia's second biggest airline went into administration, Ms Lewis had moved up the management ladder -- but she had barely an inkling of what was ahead. Only a week earlier, chief executive Gary Toomey had called senior staff together to tell them of a few problems, but insisted they would be overcome.
"I suppose I should have realised," Ms Lewis said. "A couple of days before the announcement I was on a flight and there was an issue because the refuellers were told not to refuel Ansett planes because the bill hadn't been paid."
The demise of Ansett was on the cards well before that. Exactly how long before is a question that may never be resolved.
The finger has been pointed at, among others, former chief executive Peter Abeles, Ansett's parent Air New Zealand, the trade unions and Qantas.
Former chief executive Rod Eddington is diplomatic in his assessment. "Described Ansett publicly and internally as a great airline, but a poor business.
"Qantas had a fleet that was all Boeings. Ansett had a Noah's Ark fleet -- one of almost every aircraft known to man. The disadvantages of that are obvious."
It also had a stable non-core businesses, including a Barrier Reef island, a credit card company, an insurance company and a trucking business, which Sir Rod set about selling when he took over in early 1997.
Despite the numerous shortcomings, Sir Rod, who later became chief executive of British Airways, said Ansett was only one deal away from being saved.
The missed opportunity was the Singapore Airlines offer to buy the 50 per cent share of Ansett then held by Rupert Murdoch's News Limited.
''Air New Zealand trumped the $500 million Singapore Airlines bid, putting up $680m for half of Ansett. Air New Zealand didn't have the balance sheet to support Ansett," Sir Rod said.
For the 15,000 Ansett employees who lost their jobs and faced possible loss of their entitlements, the 10th anniversary has arrived with reasonable news.
Administrator KordaMentha last month finalised the sale of the last Ansett asset, its spare parts business, which realised $5.3m.
The sale brought the returns achieved by the administrator to $727.5m, or 96c in the dollar.
"The Ansett collapse produced enormous pain and hardship to thousands of Australian families. This payment doesn't ease the pain, but it can bring closure," administrator Mark Korda said.
The Ansett Group administration was the largest ever in Australia, Mr Korda said.
Its comparative success rested on the decision to avoid a fire sale of assets when the global aviation industry was at a low ebb immediately after September 11, 2001.
For those who were part of an airline that grew into a Australia's second biggest, carrying more than 14 million passengers a year, it is difficult to get past the fact that it ended up with a lot less than the one Fokker Universal aircraft with which it had begun 66 years earlier.
Aviation NEWS By
Neha Jain
Aviation NEWS Reporter
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