The promised first Macau to Vancouver flight from locally registered Metis TransPacific Charter Airlines will not take to the sky today, confirmed the Civil Aviation Authority (AAC) yesterday.
The operation has not secured the necessary operating certificate from the AAC nor has it arranged permission for a third party operator, said a spokesperson from the authority.
In an interview with the Macau Daily Times in September, the company owner, Chris Colbourne, said Metis would act as a facilitator for the service and the aircraft operation would be contracted out to a third party.
After cancelling promised service starts on September 7 and 26 due to a “sales channel” problem, Mr Colbourne was very confident of finally taking off in December.
Calls to Mr Colbourne’s Hong Kong mobile telephone number yesterday where answered with a phone company message that the number can not be reached.
The AAC has not heard from the company’s owner since it received an email on November 29 from Zoom Airlines, a Canadian operator Metis claimed to be negotiating with to offer the service.
“The email informed us they have had discussions with Metis regarding operating flights between Vancouver and Macau,” a spokesperson said.
“It concluded that the discussions are no longer continuing and they will not be operating the flights for Metis.”
Metis’s website still states the next scheduled flights to and from Macau will leave today and continues to advertise a 1,500 pataca return ticket price for today’s flight.
A company contact number is not listed on the site and the address is given as a suite on the mezzanine level of the Macau International Airport.
In September Mr Colbourne said he was hoping to cash in on the holiday traffic as many Vancouver based Chinese returned to the Pearl River Delta for the Christmas and New Year break.
The internet is brimming with speculation about the legitimacy of Metis, which has continually promised flights however has never actually taken to the air. A page in Wikipedia is dedicated to the discussion. An interview published on www.airlinequality.com with the CEO of air transport advisers, Skytrax suggests that the operation is a hoax.
“It appears to be a clear case of buyer beware of these type of antics,” said Edward Plaisted.
“Whilst the majority of potential customers will quickly realise that this is a spoof operation, with the price of air fares they are seeking to sell, it does not take many unwary consumers for such a company to falsely obtain substantial sums of money.”
A contributor to a discussion thread on www.airliners.net also claims a photo on Metis’s website was an altered image of another airline taking off from Vancouver International Airport.
The Metis website still accepts flight bookings and states an email will be sent to confirm the booking and ask for payment.
The AAC said it has passed information on Metis to the Judiciary Police and advises anyone with a complaint against the company to contact the police or the Macau Consumer Council on 9889 315.
Courtesy: Macau Daily Times
