Fed: Ansett hit with more Fed Court action
MELBOURNE, Feb 12 AAP - Ansett administrators face further Federal Court action after12 hours of negotiations failed to resolve problems surrounding the lease of the airline'svacant Canberra terminal.
Administrators are due in court this afternoon to receive a key decision on their applicationfor Federal Court support to operate at a $6 million a week loss.
If the court refuses to sanction the action, the administrators have indicated theairline may be forced to quit the skies.
In a further blow, Canberra Airport has lodged a Federal Court application seekingpossession of Ansett's capital city terminal.
The airport has accused Ansett administrators of breaching the airline's lease by notoperating an airline at the terminal, not paying the airline's pre-September 12 debtsand refusing to pay rent for the month of February.
Relations between the airport and Ansett administrators soured on February 1 when VirginBlue was kicked out of the vacant Ansett terminal.
Airport managing director Stephen Byron said the Ansett terminal had remained lockedand empty for 11 days while Virgin passengers were being checked-in through makeshiftticketing terminals and forced to pick up the luggage from the kerb outside the airportbuilding.
Twelve hours of negotiations last week concluded without resolution.
Mr Byron said he believed the issue of third-party usage had been settled before talksbegan and parties were discussing conditions and mechanics of the deal.
But Tesna responded to the talks with a one line statement this morning knocking backa proposed lease agreement which could have saved them $1.75 million - half their operatingcosts - over two years.
He said Tesna gave no reason for rejecting the offer although Tesna representativeshad said the airport lease was not vital to the Ansett sale deal and was being used tobargain down a sale price with administrators.
"We can't go on with the airport operating in the makeshift terminal. The Canberratourist industry can't accept that," Mr Byron said today.
Administrators today refused to comment on the latest Federal Court action.
AAP jmw/jlw/las
KEYWORD: ANSETT CANBERRA
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