(6 Nov 2001)
1. Sabena Chairman Fred Chaffart arriving for briefing
2. Briefing
3. SOUNDBITE: (English) Fred Chaffart, Sabena Chairman:
"With regret I have to announce that the board of directors have, as is required by law, asked the court to enter the legal composition to file for bankruptcy."
4. Cutaway
5. SOUNDBITE: (French) Fred Chaffart, Sabena Chairman:
"The deterioration in the situation has been caused by a number of different factors; the continued lack of profitability of the company, the aggressive expansionist policy of Swissair, its (Swissair) sudden reversal in 2001 followed by the non payment of a contractually promised capital increased, the legal composition of Swissair, the wild strikes of the previous months, the crisis in the aviation industry which were dramatically increased by the September 11 events in the United States."
6. Cutaway
7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Fred Chaffart, Sabena Chairman
"Starting this evening all Sabena European and Inter-continental flights will be suspended. This will also be the case at least for tomorrow. We therefore appeal to all Sabena passengers not to come to the airport."
8. Interior wide of press conference
9. Wide of Zaventem airport
10. Various of flight cancelations on board
11. Sabena workers playing drums as they strike
12. Sabena worker crying
13. SOUNDBITE: (English) Martha, Passenger
"We have heard that they are bust and we just can't seem to find out what is happening we are just trying to get a flight now but it looks like we will be stranded here for a day or two."
14. Strikers
15. Various of Sabena planes on runway
STORYLINE:
Debt-ridden Sabena has filed for bankruptcy, the final chapter in the demise of one of Europe's oldest airlines.
The carrier, majority-owned by the Belgian state, already had to ground most of its flights on Tuesday as its staff walked out on the company hours before the decision was taken.
Plans for the immediate launch of a successor airline looked shaky because of a lack of investors.
Employees in catering, cleaning, luggage and check-in started the wildcat actions early on Tuesday, sensing the company was heading toward its end, with little hope that more than a fraction of the jobs could be saved.
In chaotic scenes at the airport, where hundreds of Sabena staff protested, the airline was forced to cancel almost all flights in the afternoon.
There will be no flights on Wednesday.
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