Manager walk-out hits Tees link bid

Oct 14 2009 by Iain Laing, The Journal

MANAGERS have walked out of a company hoping to launch a new air link this month between Teesside and London.

In late August, Excelsis Airways claimed it was still on course to launch a thrice-daily service from Durham Tees Valley Airport (DTVA) to London City – despite having failed to secure an operating licence or an aircraft for the route.

At the time, Excelsis owner Victor Bassey said he had secured £10m to get the venture off the ground.

But yesterday, a spokesman for the management team at Excelsis said they had all resigned, claiming Mr Bassey’s promised funds had not materialised.

A statement from the management team said: “Despite constant assurances and guarantees from the owner Victor Bassey about capital funding for the company, stretching back over the last three months, no money has been forthcoming.

“Throughout that time, and still to this day, no member of the Excelsis team has been paid a single penny, and no funds have been made available to meet the demands of an ever-increasing number of creditors.”

The news comes as a blow to DTVA, which had hoped to restore links to the capital after bmi pulled its Teesside- Heathrow service earlier this year.

Mr Bassey said: “I can’t access it [funds] until certain conditions have been met. They [creditors] will be paid as soon as I have access to these funds.”

The Excelsis management team has reported its concerns to Cleveland Police and the Companies Investigation Branch, part of the regulatory arm of the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills.