Bad record for new CEO
Krešimir Kučko, the CEO in waiting at Croatia Airlines, received in January a final notice before dismissal for harassment of female colleagues. Two months later the Croatian government nominated him as their candidate to take over the reins from Srećko Šimunović at the carrier. Mr Kučko is currently Croatia Airlines’ General Manager for the Benelux region, based in Brussels. In 2011, Kučko was involved in several incidents. On a Croatia Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Zagreb he hurled verbal insults at a cabin crew member when she protested that his wife was not allowed to enter the aircraft with her pet dog, local media report. A few months later he again insulted an airport employee in Amsterdam after she informed him his carryon luggage was too heavy. A female staff member working with Mr Kučko at Croatia Airlines’ representative office also reported him for harassment for which he was ordered to appear in front of the carrier’s Ethics Committee. The female employee in question is now suing the airline. All of the abovementioned incidents allegedly took place in the span of last year.
Employees have increasingly voiced their anger at the proposed new CEO. Last week, Mr Kučko retaliated by saying that employees wouldn’t be happy even if Sir Richard Branson was named to run the company. It has now also emerged that the CEO in waiting is the former neighbour and good friend of the Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanović.
Croatia Airlines has had a tough start to the year. The carrier has seen a decline in passenger numbers and received negative publicity as the feud between pilots and the management heightened in February. In March, the airline’s employees staged industrial action which led to many flight cancellations. There is hope that things will pick up and improve over the summer, during Croatia Airlines’ busiest time of the year. The airline is aiming to end the year break even and see profit in 2013.
Balkans!
ReplyDeleteThis exyu became Croatia Airlines Syndicate Newsletter :-( It is sooooo boring reading that details. More aviation please!
ReplyDeleteOne day it's a Croatia Airlines syndicate newspaper, the other it's a Serbian aviation portal. Some people just can't be pleased. Personally I think that these people should be named and shamed. Because governments decide who is going to run an airline with their only qualification being friends with the PM is why all exyu airlines are near bankrupt.
DeleteI was really hoping that this year Croatia airlines could really make a difference by starting new routes, cutting costs and enjoying the pre EU boost in traffic. I guess I was wrong.
ReplyDeleteNothing ever from this country or it's owned companies. Start from CA, HEP, HŠ, everything is going down the drain. Why? Because people in control of those companies didn't come to the ceo position because they deserved it, but were put there because they had somebody either a friend, cousin or a grandma. This banana country is screwded up big time, and who ever says otherwise is a dumb ass. Just look at any firm here. People not getting paid for months, firm putting keys in their locks and shuttind down, while managers recieve huge salaries and bonuses. Just pathetic. And you ask yourselfs why is the aviation industry is going down? I wonder.
ReplyDeleteWhich company has a bigger fleet, Croatia Airlines or B&H airlines? Greetings from the US. Love your blog.
ReplyDeleteB&H has 2 planes in total (ATR72s) but only one is in use. Croatia Airlines has 13 planes.
DeleteDisgusting. That’s all I can say. I honestly see Croatia Airline going down the drain once we enter the EU. Instead of the government doing everything to prepare OU for next year they are killing it instead.
ReplyDeleteKučko seems like a kučka
ReplyDeletehahahaha
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ReplyDeleteIf true, these allegations should be enough to dismiss Mr. Kucko instead of promoting him to CEO. But still: if the pilots' and staff unions continue to sabotage every attempt to reduce costs and restructure CA they will find themselves without a job whithin two years. High costs, unqualified workers ("normal" staff AND managers) will kill any profitable business. That's the Croatian problem in general.
ReplyDeleteKrešimir Kučko is an extremely rude ill mannered person. Rest assured that with this attitude he will not last long with Gulf Air. One thing for sure that Bahrainis with their humble and noble attitude will not accept nor tolerate this kind of behaviour.
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