Air Mikisew shut down?

[nutbutter]

this thread is gold
the accountable exec is the gm/ops manager from what I understand. Doesn't that make him the head of the COM, SMS, and the MCM?

[yycflyguy]

How do I join?

You have to be a professional; hard worker; respect the chain of authority; have personal, professional, and moral standards; not malign your own company, regardless of how poorly morale is doing at the snapshot in eternal time; be circumspect, tolerant, and helpful to your subordinates; and generally don't post shit on this board.

If you can meet these demanding standards, you're in like Flynt. Oooops, sorry...by implication you have to have an A-licence that starts with 0, 1, or 2...

Well that doesn't sound like fun at all. I want to be crusty.

[Tiger Moth]

the accountable exec is the gm/ops manager from what I understand. Doesn't that make him the head of the COM, SMS, and the MCM?

I was told that the accountable executive thought that the MCM was not his problem (somewhat due to the prior DOM), I also have hear that the SMS was just a joke, all he did was get angry about safety things, and punish people for making mistakes under the "non punitive" sms system. As to his COM relations, no answer there, maybe someone else can enlighten.

[Giveitago]

Air Mikisew lawsuits coming
By SAMANTHA STOKELL, SRJ Reporter • Tue, Aug 03, 2010

Company representatives have stated that anyone who has contributed to the current grounding of Air Mikisew will be held accountable.
To that end, Air Mikisew owners - the Mikisew Group of Companies (MGC) and Mikisew Cree First Nation (MCFN) - are preparing several lawsuits.

"The board chairman has been very blunt that those identified as responsible will be held accountable as the issue goes back at least ten years," said Dale Monaghan, chief operating officer of the MGC. "The consultants who conducted the corporate review of Air Mikisew in June included an analysis of blame and fault over the current situation."

The review clearly indicates that issues related to the current grounding are linked to activities and airline management going back a decade, including suppliers, managers, staff and consultants.

The lawsuits will likely happen after the airline resumes flights, which is expected in mid-August. Transport Canada will conduct another audit of Air Mikisew's operations then, and if all goes well, the airline could regain its air operator's certificate (AOC).

"All aircraft are sitting there, ready to go," Monaghan said. "Surrendering our air operator's certificate has resulted in significant harm to the airline. It's August and we're still on the ground."

Air Mikisew voluntarily gave up its AOC in April, after a Transport Canada inspection discovered reporting irregularities. There was never an issue with safety or maintenance. A second inspection on June 28 raised more questions about quality assurance problems.

"When Transport Canada identified issues back in May, the data needed was historic and it brought about more questions and spiraled down from there," Monaghan said.

"In a highly regulated industry and going back through ten years of data, there's truckloads and warehouses of information to be searched."

In early July, an interim management task force was formed to keep Air Mikisew financially stable during the grounding. Since the shutdown, several senior managers have been fired and the company has shrunk from 60 employees to 20.

"Unnecessary administration has been trimmed and others are taking holidays to reduce costs. Only staff related to regaining our operating certificate are left," Monaghan said. "We don't have the money for something like this. We have reserves for unplanned maintenance, but not a three-month closure."

The task force, comprised of Monaghan, Air Mikisew's general manager, the company's corporate lawyer, the general manager of Mikisew Energy and two consultants who completed the corporate review and review of the airline's management structure, met with Transport Canada in mid-July.

They continued discussing the corrective action plan and how to get Air Mikisew back in the air. Monaghan is convinced that both sides are determined to get the company flying again.

"[The meeting] was very pleasing and refreshing. Both parties want to resolve the issues," Monaghan said.

"Air Mikisew is an important company for the community."

Air Mikisew has also formed a quality assurance team of two Air Mikisew management staff, two staff from another airline and an expert from a technical institute who teaches Transport Canada regulations, to ensure the company's record keeping meets current standards.

The team will implement 10 recommendations from the corporate review, strengthening the company and ensuring it passes the next Transport Canada audit, Monaghan said. The corporate review was completed as a result of the second failed inspection by Transport Canada in May.

At the request of MCFN, Fort Smith's Northwestern Air has stepped in to provide flights for residents of Fort Chipewyan. It will continue to do so until Air Mikisew is operating again.

[Tiger Moth]

Several senior managers fired? The QA guy was fired, who else?

And as to all the aircraft sitting there ready to go.... did they ever finish whatever they where doing to their ambulance machine's tail?

Out of curiosity who did the work if they fired/layed off all the maintenance staff... speaking to some of them they said they left everything in parts and pieces... no projects finished or ready to fly...

[fish4life]

all I can say is with a management attitude like that who would want to come back to work for them

[The Old Fogducker]

all I can say is with a management attitude like that who would want to come back to work for them

Well obviously someone "who likes a challenge."

Sort of the same way some misguided souls get a kick out of playing Russian Roulette! Sounds like the kind of atmosphere where your longevity in the position would be about the same.

OFD

[Conquest Driver]

In my opinion Air Mikisew was an above average place for pilots to work (at least on the Medevac end of things) till all of this happened.

Whatever Air Mikisew lacks, determination doesn't appear to be part of it. I still hope they get back in the air. If they do, it would appear that the maintianance side of things will have been cleaned top to bottom. Might be a good oportunity for some people.

[nutbutter]

In my opinion Air Mikisew was an above average place for pilots to work (at least on the Medevac end of things) till all of this happened.

Whatever Air Mikisew lacks, determination doesn't appear to be part of it. I still hope they get back in the air. If they do, it would appear that the maintianance side of things will have been cleaned top to bottom. Might be a good oportunity for some people.

Read between the lines man, nothings has changed there has it?? Its the same old 20 or so management and admin staff that were causing the problems in the first place isn't it??

I imagine Air Mikisew has its own set of lawsuits and countersuits coming their way as well. This whole thing sounds like a public relations white wash: "We didn't do anything wrong, its everyone else's fault that we already got rid of, just to highlight the point we are going to announce that we are planning to sue everyone in the world. We also came up with an internal team of the problematic management members to form a task force that will fix everything and lay blame." Just some six figure salaries trying to keep their cushy jobs talking there.

This isn't over, and won't be for years, if ever settled.

[nutbutter]

As to his COM relations, no answer there, maybe someone else can enlighten.

The COM is the operations managers primary responsibility according to CAR's is it not?? I'm rusty on them, but that seems to be my recollection, maybe someone can enlighten? I'm too lazy to look it up

[foxmoth]

good job they are only goin back ten years.
You would not wantto find two managers one who mainly read the newspaper while the other spent the day downloading porn.

[Tiger Moth]

Another PVI tommorow, Wonder how that's gonna go?

[nutbutter]

I can`t wait until Air Mikisew is up and running..

Well the pilots and mechanics are all out of work now, so its probably not saving any workers jobs having the airline come back, just saving management jobs at this point. Sounds like they're just beating a dead horse, and its probably better for the rest of the aviation world, and the community, if evolution is allowed to run its course.

[Captain X]

So they laid off the bonded 1900 drivers?

[nutbutter]

So they laid off the bonded 1900 drivers?

idk, I thought all the pilots were laid off, is that not the case??

[Tiger Moth]

They layed off everyone except the 1900 guys that they had training bonds with....

I bet they are unhappy about that, seeing as they can't go apply for jobs elsewhere. All the other layed off drivers will probably get the jobs...

[beast]

Of course, multiple gross infractions of TC regulation by management causing the company's OC to be revoked (perhaps permanently) would easily nullify any training agreements in place - I'm sure all the 1900 drivers all have new jobs by now, or will soon

[Widow]

Wow, just, wow.

Air Mikisew grounding prompts lawsuits
Posted 3 hours ago


Shirley Lin

Today staff


Owners of Air Mikisew are preparing several lawsuits against those responsiblefor the airline's grounding after an internal review indicated mismanagement in the company going back a decade.

The Mikisew Group of Companies and Mikisew Cree First Nation — the airline owners — are expected to file the lawsuits sometime mid-August when the airline resumes flights.


Trouble started for the airline when a routine inspection in April found safety deficiencies in the company's maintenance control system, according to Transport Canada.

Shortly after, the airline forfeited its air operating certificate.

But Dale Monaghan, MGC's chief operating officer, said in an email the issues were never about safety or other "integrity-related matters" such as pilot competency, passenger handling and regulatory reporting.

The Canadian Transportation Agency then launched an investigation for a possible legal violation, and if found guilty, the airline could face warnings, cease-and-desist orders or fines.

Subsequently, two external consultants were hired in June to conduct the review to examine existing management and staff to see what went wrong and determine those responsible.

The review found issues to the current grounding related to activities and airline management including suppliers, managers, staff and consultants. A task force was formed after, made up of the company's general managers, lawyer and consultants, to hold the airline financially steady during the standstill.

Since then, several senior managers were let go, shrinking the staff down to 20 from 60. Monaghan said the staff were "laid off" in the company's best interest and that some were even looking forward to returning to the airline.

"(It was) a prudent move to reduce unnecessary overhead during a down time," he said. "The company is lean in terms of staff but poised to resume operation when we get the all-clear from Transport Canada.

"We are confident we will resume service soon."

Transport Canada is expected to conduct another audit of Air Mikisew to determine if the airline can regain its certificate. Marc Comeau with the Canadian Transportation Agency said that the company has a year to apply to have its licence restored.

"As far as I know, we haven't had any requests to reinstate the licence," he said.

Currently, Fort Smith's Northwestern Air is providing flights up to Fort Chipewyan till Air Mikisew resumes service.

http://www.fortmcmurraytoday.com/Articl ... ?e=2710453

[double-j]

When I said that everyone should get fired I meant it, I`m not being mean but sometimes it`s better to clean house and start new. This is not to say that existing employees can apply for their jobs back.

I sure hope Mikisew gets it shit together and starts flying again.

EDITED - Try again.

[ei ei owe]

Let me get this straight. From that little news article it appears as though the "Mikisew Group of Companies and Mikisew Cree First Nation — the airline owners — " will be going back through ten years worth of paperwork against the airline/management that make them money?

This might be the funniest, dry-humoured, rhetorical thing I've read this week. I think we all have a good idea how this will turn out.

[AME 283]

Sounds like a fun company to work for, who was the Accountable Executive ??

[2R]

Sounds like a fun company to work for, who was the Accountable Executive ??

Who was the accountable executive ?
Who is now ?
If it the same person ,why would anyone expect any accountability in the future ?

[gianthammer]

This whole mess with Air Mikisew just doesn't make any sense to me, I thought they were aproved by Contrails for their 1900 work shortly prior to this whole TC fiasco. If a top knotch auditing outfit like Contrails aproves a company only weeks prior to being shut down by TC then I can only asume that TC is way out to lunch here.

[Ogee]

This whole mess with Air Mikisew just doesn't make any sense to me, I thought they were aproved by Contrails for their 1900 work shortly prior to this whole TC fiasco. If a top knotch auditing outfit like Contrails aproves a company only weeks prior to being shut down by TC then I can only asume that TC is way out to lunch here.

Why would you assume that it's TC that is "out to lunch"? I've never heard Contrail described as a "top notch auditing outfit" before and you may want to look at that dubious premise again. TC would have had to have manufactured defects in procedures to issue their suspension by your theory. The alternative is that Contrail overlooked them or missed them entirely. What's top notch about that?

Are you the wee man from Contrail, by any chance?

[Main Gear]

This whole mess with Air Mikisew just doesn't make any sense to me, I thought they were aproved by Contrails for their 1900 work shortly prior to this whole TC fiasco. If a top knotch auditing outfit like Contrails aproves a company only weeks prior to being shut down by TC then I can only asume that TC is way out to lunch here.

Why would you assume that it's TC that is "out to lunch"? I've never heard Contrail described as a "top notch auditing outfit" before and you may want to look at that dubious premise again. TC would have had to have manufactured defects in procedures to issue their suspension by your theory. The alternative is that Contrail overlooked them or missed them entirely. What's top notch about that?

Are you the wee man from Contrail, by any chance?

I get what Ogee is saying. How could they be Contrail approved with so many
discrepancies? Is Contrail just standards that pilots need to meet?