It would appear Varig is bleeding cash -- and in some Latin American markets cargo can be just as important a revenue stream as people -- and often more reliable. http://www.flightinternational.com/Articles/2005/11/21/Navigation/177/202947/Judgement+day+looms+for+Varig.html << Judgement day looms for Varig Varig may avoid the threatened repossession of about half its fleet, but the crisis has left it little time to complete restructuring by its December deadline. The mid-December date ends the six-month period allowed under Brazilian law for a company to restructure. It provides that after six months a company that has failed to restructure must liquidate. Varig?s lawyers predict the court will grant an extension, but the statute is too untested to be sure. ?The law is clear,? one lawyer warns. Varig was preoccupied through September and October by the threat from lessors to reclaim between 20 and 40 of its 76 aircraft. In November, it was poised to meet a deadline to come up with a $62 million payment on lease arrears, but only after intervention by the national development bank, BNDES and TAP Portugal. TAP agreed to buy Varig?s two most valuable subsidiaries, VarigLog, its cargo and logistics unit, and VEM, its maintenance and overhaul arm. The proceeds from those sales are earmarked for the lessors. TAP says that it plans to bring both units back into the Varig Group if it continues to play a role in the airline?s reorganisation. It took the insistence of Brazil?s president Lula da Silva for BNDES to step in and offer financing to any investor willing to buy the two units. Local sources say president Silva told his cabinet that Varig should not be allowed to collapse. Beyond the immediate crisis over leased aircraft, many questions remain. Varig pleaded to keep some of the cash from the sale of VarigLog and VEM to repair 15 aircraft now grounded because of maintenance needs. It argued that returning these aircraft to operation was essential to reverse its sliding fortunes. But the lessors objected and the entire amount is going to them. TAP Portugal claims it is prepared to inject up to $500 million into Varig in exchange for a 20% stake, the most allowed under Brazil?s law, but it is not clear if the various stakeholders agree. Varig?s employees favour another plan offered by a local consortium headed by newspaper magnate Nelson Tanure. German Efromovich, head of the Synergy group that bought Colombia?s Avianca, also registered an interest. TAP is asking Varig for exclusivity, a move that is sure to rile rival bidders. Even if Varig and its creditors prefer TAP ? and Varig officials have openly said they do ? the Portuguese airline still must associate with local investors because of the 20% cap on foreign investment. DAVID KNIBB/SEATTLE >> Kees de Lezenne Coulander <listbox@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: Michael Burris wrote: >Is there any way to determine the number of passengers >that boarded a past flight? > >I'm writing an article on Varig and I am wondering if >their flights arriving from S. A. to the U.S. are >fully sold, partially sold, arriving with very few >passengers, etc? > >Any software on the Net that this info can be >accessed? Michael, In decades past ICAO published statistics for international flights by city pair and maybe also by airline. I have not seen any of their data lately, so I am not sure whether they still do. In any case, their data would not be freely available; you would have to buy a paper (or these days possibly pdf) copy. You might want to dig around a bit on the ICAO website to find out what is available. Kees de Lezenne Coulander --------------------------------- Yahoo! Music Unlimited - Access over 1 million songs. Try it free.