Uncertainty clouds Skybus future

Press, 13 February 1981, Page 4

Uncertainty clouds Skybus future

PA Wellington A question mark yesterday hung over the direction to be taken by the cut-price Skybus airline, after the resignation of three directors, its secretary-treasurer, its legal adviser, and the man who played a large part in its conception, Mr W. M. B. Thompson. Most of the men who have carried the Skybus idea to its present status resigned on Wednesday, quoting an “inability to reconcile differences” with another director, a Christchurch lawyer, Mr J. G. Rutherford. Out of the parent Aqua Avia Society board went 'three directors, Messrs M. W. Purchase, J. C. Yates and D. Culham. They were joined by a legal adviser, Mr G. N. Jenkins. The society’s secretarytreasurer, Mr M. Tracy, then added, his resignation on the ethical grounds that he had been proposed by the outgoing directors, and it would be better to allow the remaining board members to appoint someone new. A special meeting of members will be called so they can decide who they want as directors. It has been organised bv Miss Lynne Duncan, who resigned on Wednesday as secretary to the Auckland directors when they did. The additional “bombshell” that the Skybus consultant Mr Thompson, generally regarded as the main architect of the airline concept, had tendered his resignation, came yesterday. Mr Thompson apparently decided to do so in a telephone cell from overseas to Mr Yates. This was confirmed by* both Mr Purchase and Mr Tracy. ; ‘A Mr Purchase said the outgoing directors had found it no longer possible to work with Mr Rutherford, He declined to go into detail, .but

it is believed they felt Mr Rutherford was making too many decisions on his own without reference to the Auckland office. But Mr Thompson’s brother Mr Frank Thompson, the sales manager, said that he and his staff were sticking with the present management. He said the people at the top “could not compromise their egos” to work things out and they had “blown the whole thing apart.” He said no-one was blameless, but ’that he and his staff were loyal to Skybus and the members and intending to stick with it. Mr Purchase confirmed that Mr Rutherford had been asked to resign, and that when he refused the three other directors decided to go. “Both for myself and for Matt Thompson it means the sacrifice of 2| years of effort.” • Asked about the ability of Sky bus to continue with its plans for international and domestic flights, he said: “I can only refer to what John Rutherford said this morning that Skybus will fly. “We have no wish to see it fail. It is in a very healthy position. It is in a position of being able to deposit money in order to secure the first (international) charter,” Mr Purchase said. Apart from Mr Rutherford, the remaining board members are the chairman, Sir Reginald Bamewell, and Mr W. T. T. Kele. Sir Reginald said last evening that he had maintained a neutral, position towards the directors. . . . “I.;am absolutely .straight downthe line, in my-loyalty to-the job we are trying to do,” he said. Skybus’s standing is unchanged from" an operations point of view. It ha„d hoped to make its

first flight to San Diego from Auckland on February 27, but this looks unlikely because the charter airline, Evergreen International, has not filed a certificate of compliance with United States-New Zealand air regulations. Nor has it obtained permission from Britain to fly on to that country on future flights. Mr Rutherford said in Christchurch last evening that although he was disappointed a rift had surfaced, he did not expect the resignations to affect the “forward progress” of the society. “It’s business as usual as far as the (remaining) directors are concerned,” he said. A meeting of 200 society members on Wednesday had supported the present administration. Mr Rutherford said .the society’s negotiations with the Ministry of Transport had reached an empasse because the directors in Auckland had filed a, schedule with the Ministry which did not comply with bilateral agreements. The schedule offered oneway fares and round trips when the regulations allowed only round trips. He said the Auckland office had filed the schedules without showing him a copy, nor did it show a copy to Evergreen. Mr Rutherford yesterday called Evergreen and told it the schedules would be adjusted to comply with the bilaterals.“Now that we are prepared to comnly, Evergreen has indicated its whole-hearted support for the venture,” he said. The delays in filing schedules which complied had set the scheme back by about three months, and Mr Rutherford now hoped that the first 'Skybus flight would take off before July.