Airlines r a great public service, endorsed by Skol.

[biker]

It would seem the Toll holdings distribution is gradually being mopped up. Lots of digruntled shareholders willing to give their shares away but that supply will eventually dry up. Will be interesting to see if there is in fact a buyer of significance building a stake. Some big players obviously see some future value.

[tricha]

Alitalia seeks bankruptcy measure


Negotiations with unions will be critical to saving the airline


Troubled Italian airline Alitalia has applied for bankruptcy protection as it tries to agree a deal to ensure its long-term survival.
The carrier has sought court protection from its creditors, effectively declaring itself insolvent.
An administrator will be appointed to handle the process, with flights continuing while the firm plans a radical overhaul of its operations.
Losing 2m euros (£1.6m) a day, Alitalia has survived on a 300m-euro state loan.
Plans are being drawn up to split the carrier into two and to sell a stake in a new entity to a foreign airline.
Split in two
Guaranteeing the airline's future will depend on securing fresh investment and persuading its unions to accept large job cuts.
Both Air France KLM and Lufthansa have expressed interest in investing in any new entity which emerges from the current business.
No one can buy Alitalia in the state it's in... the business is toast


Roberto Colaninno


Earlier on Friday, Corrado Passera, head of the airline's financial advisers Intesa Sanpaolo, confirmed that Alitalia's board was drawing up a request to seek bankruptcy protection.
The move will give the firm breathing space to reach agreement on how the business can proceed.
The government adopted new measures on Thursday aimed at speeding up bankruptcy proceedings, widely interpreted as a signal that Alitalia was set for such a course of action.
Future plans for the carrier would see it divided in half, with its loss-making operations remaining under bankruptcy protection and potentially being liquidated.
Profitable short-haul routes would be separated into a new business, controlled by a consortium of Italian investors including budget airline Air One which would effectively be merged with Alitalia.
Italian media have speculated that the new firm will employ 7,000 fewer staff than Alitalia's current 19,000 strong workforce and operate flights to about 50 fewer destinations.
Italian ownership
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has made Alitalia's continued ownership by Italian interests a precondition of any rescue deal.
However, experts have said the airline - of which the government owns 49% - can only survive in the future as part of some European alliance.
Silvio Berlusconi wants to keep the airline in Italian hands


Previous attempts to sell the business to a foreign airline have foundered over union concerns about job losses and unease over the severity of the airline's financial problems.
The airline's perilous position was put into perspective by Roberto Colaninno, appointed to take charge of the new entity that emerges from the restructuring.
"No one can buy Alitalia in the state it's in," he told La Repubblica newspaper.
"With all respect, I am not Merlin the magician. The business is toast. It doesn't exist any more. There's nothing left."
Alitalia has been crippled in recent years by strategic indecision, poor industrial relations and soaring fuel costs. Its shares were suspended earlier this summer while the firm has delayed the release of its 2007 accounts.

[h2so4]

Tricha I see you still have your ear to the ground. Is this one a Mazda????

[Skol]

Airlines do make a profit even in difficult times. QAN records $970m profit.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...21/2342294.htm

[h2so4]

Airlines do make a profit even in difficult times. QAN records $970m profit.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...21/2342294.htm

Yes they did, overstated by a $100m in my books. Still, about a 7% cash return on invested capital (not a particularly attractive return). Huge long term debt though $4b. The liabilities look good, they exceed assets by about $2b.The numbers are looking fragile, but a good year for the kangaroo.

[BRICKS]

THE big investment house UBS has come out with a statement that next price rise for VBA will be 80 cents from the current price is a 33% possible RISE..

[h2so4]

THE big investment house UBS has come out with a statement that next price rise for VBA will be 80 cents from the current price is a 33% possible RISE..

Its now become a break up value play????
I wonder if UBS is connected to the big buyer of all those VBA shares?

[BRICKS]

TWO notices out today one from Virgin [UK] they state there holdings have not changed but who knows for how long and two from the COMMONWEALTH BANK with a holding of 5.44%
that's a total of 57,179,077 million share so they have been in the market another
12 million today so there are big BUYERS..

[BRICKS]

HAVE not seen this type of turnover for VBA ever now running into Million & millions the
brokers must be loving it but they never say THANKS..

[tricha]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNjZnRA2m68&NR=1