General Motors has filed a request to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to prevent the public from tracking the journeys its private planes make, which is apparently one of the options available to private plane leasers and is not a special request.
This comes after GM’s CEO Rick Wagoner was criticised by lawmakers and the public for spending approximately US$20,000 on a private flight to ask for a US$25 billion bailout together with the other Detroit Three heads, when a first class plane ticket costs much less.
There could have been many reasons why a private plane was used at a much much higher cost instead of a commercial airline such as logistics problems or timing problems, but it still looks really bad to observers and I believe right now GM has alot more problems to deal with other than trying to stop people from tracking ihow it uses its private planes.
This action probably makes people feel like they’re trying to cover something up, and a little more transparency could do wonders for its bail-out cause right now. If you want to track US air traffic yourself, just head on to this site. A quick check shows that GM’s Gulfstream G350 with a N5116 tail code has already been blocked from being tracked on FlightAware, but is still available here. GM planes have the tail code N5113 to N5117.
But still, I believe that the Congress wants to save their Big 3 somehow, they just don’t know how to do it and I suppose are disappointed that the heads of the companies themselves gives them the impression that don’t seem to know either.
Look after the jump to view some videos of the hearing between the U.S. lawmakers and the Detroit 3 CEOs.
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Just trying to cover up future expensive jet travels for begging bailouts. Should just let them collapse.
"But damn it! I don't want to help again, and get stuffed back in our rear, at home, that you took the money, and you blew it." <—– HAHAHAhahaha…
Like wise will someone big in Malaysia say to some Malaysian car manufacturer "Puk*! I tak nak bantu lagi, dan main bontot, kat rumah, dan U bazirkan wang tu!"
haiyo.. the CEO pay check already few millions a year… 20k to save his day trip… is around that laaa.
Well, it's not that simple you know. Air travel in America can be a pain in the bum. Many airlines in America aren't as reliable as the ones in Asia…what if you're needed for an important meeting and you're stuck somewhere far away from the meeting place? America's not as small as M'sia you can just drive from end to end in one day (Peninsula, at least). That's why businesses need private jets. Not because they want to flash their riches. GM could just as well sell one or two jets to soothe the critics.
well next time they should take a bus
Ot they can take gas guzzling Hummer which they're selling off.
Dudes,
Its a contradiction. You heard every country committing to not applying protectionist measures to fight the financial crisis. Yet the great US of A wants to save their own industry. Before this it was CAFE. Bailing out means injecting capital into the companies and eventually increasing its competitiveness. It is protectionist measures. Protecting them from the reality that their cars suck (ehem…except for Corvettes).
For all that matters, they will have to save them. Congress wants to see where that money goes to. They want to see development on products and better cost efficient manufacturing. They don't want to see it going into plugging holes while top executives don't feel a pinch.
Its a matter of time that you will see the Japanese doing it, the Italians and the French doing it. So we can't do it? It would be stupid not too.
Give money but change the people running the company. Cost cutting can be done. The big 3 have a weird thing about making cars. Their engines are big but generate small power. I would like to think proton is in better health and maybe not that far behind in terms of technology
"So we can’t do it? It would be stupid not too."
People have a level playing field and fail, so they require bailout. On the other hand WE have an import tax system heavily skewed to protect the local car company, and they STILL fail and require bailout, you have to ask yourself, wtf are they doing?
not_ah_beng said,
December 1, 2008 @ 1:00 pm
“So we can’t do it? It would be stupid not too.”
People have a level playing field and fail, so they require bailout. On the other hand WE have an import tax system heavily skewed to protect the local car company, and they STILL fail and require bailout, you have to ask yourself, wtf are they doing?
———————————-
in case you've had your head buried in the sand for the last 3 years and havent been reading the news.. the local car company you're talking about hasnt failed, but in fact has been credited with making a comeback from the brink. the critical part now will be the future, as whatever protection they have now(not much left if you really look at it) disappears in the next couple of years. good thing is, they are targetting the export market very aggresively, and this forces them to fight head on with foreign makes.. if they can succeed there, it will only teach them how to survive for the long term.
Hahaha. Very funny.
Since when was the US market a level playing field? Honda, Nissan and Toyota got to have a factory in the US to be able to sell their stuff cheap and not being labeled as dumping.
Neither is the UK market too. What do you think VAT is about? It would cost 3 times as much in the UK to buy a Corvette Z08 or a Mustang. All major companies have factories in Europe to be able to sell their stuff. That or risk being prosecuted for unfair trading practice.
Wake up dudes, they are pulling a fast one on us. They expect us to open our market while they protect theirs. Our perception of the world economy has always been favouring theirs. Finish yout textbook economics and live in the real world.
I like the look of those executive's faces when asked upon "who is taking comercial flight here, raise your hand" No one did, and this is like asking "whos company is not f**king up here, raise your hand". Ha
But let's not all do the guess job here, who knows the next major automotive facing problems might be japanese or…. the Ps..
There's a saying "if it aint smells, dont cover it." From a logical point of view, their action has just shown everyone that it smells. No one will object the big shots taking corp jets for a strategic meeting half way around the world or even at the neighborhood state but what ppl dont want to see is they're spending lavishly and abusively with the benefits given to them to fly around for personal leisures. That's why the corporate governance is a hot topic in 21st century and in paritcularly our big daddy US with the As has Sarbanes Oxley Act to regulate the Directors behaviour acting in the interest of the shareholders after the infamous collapse of Enron. It looks like we have just uncovered another stinky hole…fire in the hole to blast the waste out, anyone?
malaysia proton everyday also get bailout by G
let's do the math. Three CEOs being paid millions a year each are going to Washington on a business trip to try to save $300 billion worth of sales and 3 million jobs — and they are supposed to risk all of that on Northwest or US Air, a.k.a. Northworst and Useless Air, formerly Allegheny a.k.a. Agony Air? I see the connection: you fly to D.C. on a previously bankrupt airline as you contemplate the bankruptcy of your own company.,……
oh wait….my flight got delayed…..can the ppl in washington wait for me, pleaaaaase?????
fiat, you can buy ford, gm now. chyrsler i don't mind they close shop