WILLEMSTAD - The recently declared bankrupt Curaçaoan airline Jetair, led by Antonio Ribeiro, is embroiled in a conflict over the possibility of a restart. Antonio Ribeiro, the founder and owner of Jetair, has accused the trustees of distorting the truth in their attempts to revive the airline.
Ribeiro claims he had offered a complete set of conditions to the trustees to facilitate Jetair's restart. On the other hand, the trustees, represented by lawyer Lucas Drissen, stated that Ribeiro withdrew his commitments, significantly complicating the restart.
According to the trustees, they wanted to sell the AOC (air operator's certificate), the staff, and the aircraft as a package deal to a prospective buyer, which they believed was the best solution for all parties involved, including Ribeiro himself, Jetair's staff, and creditors.
Ribeiro declares that the trustees were only interested in part of his offer and wanted to discard the rest. For Ribeiro, this made little sense, as he believed a complete package deal was necessary for a successful restart.
However, the trustees emphasized that they had made every effort from the beginning to sell the AOC, the staff, and the aircraft together as a package deal. They accused Ribeiro of complicating the negotiations by retracting his commitments. Drissen urged Ribeiro to agree to a package deal in the interest of all parties and not to further complicate the process.