3 February 2005
AMSTERDAM — Eindhoven Airport has warned passengers with Air Exel tickets that the flights of the regional airline are “extremely uncertain”.
Ticket holders for Air Exel flights from Eindhoven have been advised to ring the airport on 040 2919 818 for more information.
Air Exel — formerly KLM Exel — is a regional airline that is owned by the aviation group ExelAviationGroup (EAG), which was established by entrepreneur Erik de Vlieger. Air Exel flies to several European cities from Eindhoven and from Maastricht-Aachen Airport.
“For the record, we wish to indicate that Eindhoven Airport is in no way responsible for the implementation of Air Exel’s flights or the manner in which this airline communicates with its clients,” the airport said in a statement.
Meanwhile, staff at Air Exel’s headquarters, based at Maastricht Airport, were surprised on Thursday when tax officials turned up to auction off some of the office furniture to help pay off the airline’s overdue tax bills.
Desks, chairs and other equipment were snapped up by eager bargain hunters during the two-hour auction, newspaper De Telegraaf reported.
Air Exel commercial director Paul Janmaat denied it was a lightening raid. He said the tax office had given notice of the auction in advertisements in local newspapers earlier this week.
The office staff, it seems, had not seen these ads and were taken aback when the auctioneers arrived, the newspaper said.
Eindhoven and Maastricht airports are both owed significant sums of money by Air Exel and had considered seeking to have the airline declared bankrupt. This move has been put off temporarily while Air Exel talks to two potential investors.
The airline’s embattled parent company, EAG, has also been hit in recent days by rumours it will have to seek protection from creditors.
Interim director Bart Drechsel, who was working on a rescue package, resigned at the end of January.
He claimed he could no longer work with owner Erik de Vlieger, who sparked controversy when he suggested the company would have to file for court protection.
De Vlieger blamed justice officials of placing the company in difficulty by involving him in criminal investigations.
The real estate, aviation and media tycoon was held by police in Amsterdam earlier in January for several days on suspicion of extortion at a city café.
De Vlieger denies the allegations and now claims EAG suppliers cancelled lenient repayment arrangements due to his arrest. He has announced plans to withdraw from running his business empire.
[Copyright Expatica News 2005]
Subject: Dutch news + Erik de Vlieger + Air Exel