CHARLES GURASSA provided an entertaining and somewhat controversial speaker at the Aviation Club of Great Britain lunch at the Institute of Directors last week. The former BA and TUI Board member shed no light as to if he might make an airline comeback but was recently appointed chairman of organisational development consultancy 7 Days. He proved to be a robust advocate for the charter carriers pointing out that they were very efficient, capable of operation 4,000 hours per year per aircraft and flying with a 96% load factor. He highlighted the problems associated with non-bonded scheduled airlines offering what are effectively package trips including hotel and transfer arrangements and strongly suggested that plans for a single European AOC should be quickly brought forward. With TUI each component airline, in each country, has to go through virtually the same identical authorisation process, a waste of resources and unnecessary according to Gurassa.
http://www.7days.co.uk