Yesterday
PE firm behind Bonza, Melbourne Victory calls in insolvency experts
The private equity firm called in advisers overnight to assist with “operational challenges”. It is a major shareholder in the A-League club and budget airline.
- Ayesha de Kretser
This Month
Has Qantas really changed?; Perpetual’s fall from grace; AI’s big energy problem
This week on the Chanticleer podcast, James and Anthony look at Qantas’ $120 million settlement, extract lessons from the demise of funds management giant Perpetual, reveal why everyone is talking about data centres and energy.
Bonza in talks with six buyers despite owing $100m and losing planes
Creditors of the collapsed budget airline were told that it owed more than $100 million to backers, customers and staff after going under late last month.
- Ayesha de Kretser
Macquarie readies sale of $450m-a-year Kinetic; seeks 10x multiple
Kinetic recently ruled off a $1.6 billion refinancing which Macquarie reckons puts it in a position to accelerate the decarbonisation of its fleet.
- Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
Transport costs up 10 per cent nationwide as petrol stokes inflation
The rising cost of diesel in the past three years has put a dent in Jesse Bradley’s removalist business based in Queensland.
- Gus McCubbing
Citi’s Bonza links emerge in emails showing overdue invoices
The Wall Street investment banking giant is a lender to AIP Capital, the aircraft lessor tied to the budget airline and its ailing private equity owner.
- Ayesha de Kretser
- Exclusive
- Aviation
Bonza’s backers plotted to ‘get the planes out’ and ‘wind this up’
Leaked documents show the writing was on the wall for the budget carrier weeks before it collapsed, and suggest co-ordination between its financiers and owners.
- Updated
- Ayesha de Kretser
Vanessa Hudson’s ACCC settlement is six months too late
Vanessa Hudson could have made settling the ACCC case a hallmark of her regime. Nine months after her elevation, it’s a little late for that.
- Myriam Robin
- Opinion
- The AFR View
Why didn’t ACCC litigate Qantas?
Is what might be seen as regulatory brand ransom to force companies to admit to lesser charges and avoid the need to litigate, the way the watchdog should seek to uphold Australia’s consumer protection and competition law?
- The AFR View
- Opinion
- Aviation
Qantas’ Hudson takes the chance to shed some Joyce baggage
Vanessa Hudson has finally accepted reality by making a deal with the competition watchdog over ghost flights.
- Jennifer Hewett
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Transurban’s buying and building days not done yet
Investors would have reacted much more strongly to any sort of distribution guidance. Instead, Transurban’s Michelle Jablko gave them the long road to value creation.
- Anthony Macdonald
- Updated
- Aviation
Qantas pays $120m to settle ghost flights case
Customers on cancelled flights will receive up to $450 in compensation after the airline admitted it misled travellers and agreed to pay $120 million to settle.
- Updated
- Ayesha de Kretser and Lucas Baird
THL in $200m wipeout as grey nomads stop buying campervans
The operator of Britz and Maui brands said it was also expecting to impair its businesses overseas, and was surprised by how quickly sales had dried up.
- Simon Evans
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Admitting Qantas’ ‘ghost flight’ misconduct is a win for Hudson
Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson has taken the pragmatic approach of fessing up to the ACCC and ending the so-called ‘ghost flights’ case. It’s another step in her rebuild.
- James Thomson
777 Partners accused of fraud, double-pledging assets in lawsuit
777 owns or has stakes in several football teams around the world and has a sprawling collection of businesses, including Bonza which is in voluntary administration.
- Jill R. Shah and David Hellier
CommBank to refi PE-backed logistics giant; Daimler, IFM tip into debt
The new loan comes four years after Allegro Funds, led by deal maker Adrian Loader, paid less than $10 million to acquire Team Global Express.
- Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
Is Bonza a goner? Woolworths’ $8b crisis; Bizarre quantum theory
This week on the Chanticleer podcast, James and Anthony delve into Bonza’s crash landing, reveal the real cost of Woolworths’ PR crisis and answer a listener’s question about Australia’s whopper venture capital investment.
How 777 Partners bad marriage doomed Bonza from the start
Documents pitched to investors prove Bonza could never succeed with the fleet it was leasing – a condition of its relationship with 777 Partners.
- Ayesha de Kretser
Bapcor shapes as takeover target after share price rout
Macquarie says the Autobarn owner is a target after the 24pc plunge in its share price. It had private equity owners more than a decade ago.
- Simon Evans
Bonza directors say they were blindsided by lease cancellation
The airline laid off staff and extended its flying outage to Tuesday because it can’t find planes.
- Ayesha de Kretser