Is David Savy in control of Air Seychelles affairs?

Shortly after the New Year, Captain David Savy appeared on SBC television to give an account of the troubles the national carrier faced during the peak Christmas and New Year season. In the process he misled the public about the true state of affairs of the airline. It also raised concerns that perhaps Savy cannot cope with the problems that are befalling the airline.

The airline’s troubles started when the airline’s handling agent at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport reversed one of the aircraft on a fence causing serious damage to fuselage. The management had to quickly charter another aircraft from the UK to carry its passengers to Seychelles – losing the holiday makers at least one day of their very expensive holiday during the festive season

Savy’s problems, however, did not end there. The chartered aircraft encountered problems in Johannesburg when a bird got into an engine just as it was about to take off. As a result, the aircraft had to return to the terminal and all the passengers and luggage unloaded. By the time the problem had been sorted out it was time for the crew to take their time off according to regulations, and there was no spare crew stationed in Johannesburg to take over. This meant both passengers and crew being carted off to a hotel for the night paid for by the airline.

In his television appearance, David Savy erroneously reported that the bird incident at Johannesburg occurred while the aircraft was in flight and that it had to return and land. We have no reason to suggest that David Savy deliberately lied to the public about the incident. Rather, we think that David Savy is not in full control of the company and does not know everything that goes on which may affect smooth functioning of the airline let alone that which may affect the security of its passengers.

According to report from Johannesburg, all the passengers were kept in the dark as to what was happening once they had been returned to the terminal, although the monitors said there would be a 7.00 pm take-off. At about 5 pm it was announced that the flight had been cancelled. The passengers were told that they would be taken to a hotel near the airport for the night and take-off was rescheduled for the next day at 9 am.

Getting to the hotel was an ordeal in itself. After being shepherded through immigration, baggage hall to the car underground car park by the handling agent, the passengers found to their horror that there were just two minibuses available to cart off over 100 passengers and luggage to the hotel. This exercise naturally took more than two hours. By them there were over one hundred very irate passengers.

When the passengers were ready to leave the hotel the next morning, they were told that take-off would be at 11 am instead of 9 am. However, at 9.30 am, since all the passengers had checked-in, it was announced that departure would be at 10 am and all passengers were asked to board the aircraft. They were all eager to get airborne so they could enjoy the rest of their holiday.

After all the passengers had boarded the aircraft, however, take off was delayed again because the catering company had not yet delivered the food. It took a very calm and good humoured British chief steward to put everyone at ease. When the food finally arrived some twenty minutes later, the crew discovered that they were not sufficient for the number of passengers on board.

The all-British crew (except for one Seychellois) handled the situation very professionally. The chief steward then decided to ask the passengers to vote whether they should wait for the rest of the food or just take-off. By shouts everyone on board, led by the eager, patient but very irate holiday makers who had already lost one day of their expensive holiday, democratically voted to take off and to hell with food.

Throughout their ordeal at Johannesburg not one member of the ground staff in an Air Seychelles uniform was available to deal with the passengers. Attempts to contact a representative of the General Sales Agent, who should normally be at the airport as passengers were checking in, proved fruitless. It was left to the handling agent at the terminal to deal with the passengers complaints and concerns at best they could.

By the time the aircraft arrived in Seychelles it was almost the end of the day, time to get ready for the evening New Year’s Eve party. Yet, given the ordeal the passengers went through for their money, there was no welcoming party to commiserate with them or to express regret for the state of affairs.

The problems besetting Air Seychelles is not just one of those unfortunate mishaps with the aircraft. The latest addition to the fleet, an aging Boeing 767-200 had already given the airline a bad name before the latest incidents occurred. Seats at the front of the aircraft were being sold as pseudo business class seats which costs R500 more than the normal economy, even though on the routes the aircraft flies passengers have no choice but to use Air Seychelles.

When the passenger’s board the aircraft, however, they find to their disappointment that the fronts seats were no different from all the others and the only perk was a choice between a glass of water and a glass of orange juice before take-off. The seats themselves are very uncomfortable for a journey of 5 hours. It appears that even former President Albert Rene was not amused when he traveled with his family to Bangkok. He too had no choice of seats.

During his appearance on SBC, David Savy claimed that as a result of the bad lucks which befell the airline during the festive season, the company would loose ten million euros in a full year. How can he know this? His older brother Glenny made the same demand soon after the cyclone hit Farquar Island last year. White men speak in forked tongues, but the Savy brothers speak in the millions. Although Air Seychelles financial year ends on 31st March, David Savy has yet to make public the audited accounts for the year ending March 2007. Only then can we judge whether David Savy’s prognosis of huge financial losses for the company in his care is soundly based.

There are rumours that the ageing Boeing 767-200, the latest addition to the fleet, has been leased from a company in which David Savy holds shares. Savy has an obligation to put all these rumours to rest by publishing the leasing contract of the aircraft as well as making public the audited accounts of Air Seychelles that he is keeping secret. After all when Air Seychelles makes a loss, it is the whole country that looses, not David Savy.