The client was satisfied. That evening, when the office emptied, Victoria was still sitting at her massive dark wood desk, reviewing financial indicators. Charts and graphs flickered on the computer screen. Revenue was growing, but so were expenses. Fuel was getting more expensive, and competition was intensifying. A new budget airline, Skyfast, had begun aggressive dumping, luring passengers with low prices. Victoria leaned back in her chair and rubbed her tired eyes. Sometimes she felt incredibly alone at the top of this empire.
She had no one to share her doubts and fears with. Her mother lived on the country estate in the Cotswalls and rarely came to London. Her university friends had long since started their own families and careers, and Victoria was left alone with her planes, reports, and endless responsibility for thousands of people, employees and passengers. The phone vibrated. A message from Sofia. Don’t stay late, boss. Tomorrow is an important day. Board meeting, 9 a.m.
Victoria smiled. Sofia always looked after her like an older sister. She gathered her things, turned off the office light, and took the elevator down to the underground parking garage. Her Rover Ranch was waiting in her personal spot. Victoria sat behind the wheel but didn’t start the engine. Instead, she took out her phone and opened the photo gallery. She scrolled through the old pictures. There she was with her father at the opening of the new road to Athens. Roberto Holmes, a tall, gray-haired man with kind eyes and a broad smile, had his arm around his daughter’s shoulders.
They both looked happily at the camera. This was six months before her death. Victoria was still a student then. She came during the holidays, and her father drove her to the ceremony. “Someday all this will be yours,” Vicky said then, sitting next to her on the plane back to London. “But remember, business isn’t just about numbers and profits; it’s about people—our employees, our passengers. Never forget the people.” Victoria wiped away an involuntary tear and started the car. It was time to go home.
The board meeting the following morning was tense. Chief Financial Officer Ricardo Wilkins, a man in his fifties with a perpetually scowl, presented a grim forecast. “If SkyFast continues to cut prices at this rate, we’ll lose up to 15% of passenger traffic on key routes by the end of the year,” he said, pointing to a screen displaying charts. “We need to either lower our own fares or find other ways to retain customers.” “Lowering fares will kill our margin,” Victoria objected.
We can’t compete with low-cost carriers on price. Our strength lies in the quality of our service. But passengers don’t care about service if the price difference is €50. Jaime Collins, marketing director specializing in short-haul flights, chimed in. So, we need to show them that our service is worth those €50. Victoria got up and started pacing the room. Strengthen the loyalty program, improve the in-flight meals, expand online check-in options, make flying with Asure Wings not just a point-to-point transfer, but a pleasant experience.
All of this requires investment. Wilkins looked at her skeptically. “I know.” Victoria returned to her place at the head of the table. “But I’m willing to make it. Prepare a detailed plan. Calculate how much we need. We’ll discuss it next week.” The meeting ended. The directors dispersed, leaving Victoria alone with her thoughts. She understood she was taking a risk, but standing idly by and watching the competitors take over the market wasn’t in her nature. Victoria spent the next few days in continuous meetings and negotiations.
She personally visited the company’s training center where new flight attendants were trained to ensure service standards were met. She toured the hangars where aircraft maintenance was performed. She met with food suppliers to discuss menu improvements. But one morning, while reviewing reports, Victoria stumbled upon some strange information. Several passengers were complaining about rude treatment by the crew on flights from Nissa. This was unusual. Azur had always been known for its courteous staff.
Victoria asked Sofia to gather more details. By evening, the picture had become clearer. All the complaints concerned the same crew working the Nissan-London route. Captain David Hartley. Victoria frowned. She didn’t recognize that name among the pilots. She asked the Human Resources Department to send her his file. When the file arrived, Victoria studied it carefully. David Hartley, 42 years old, 10 years of experience in civil aviation. He previously served in the air force. He joined Asure Wings 8 months ago, hired by the regional manager in Nissan.
On paper, everything seemed clean, but something alerted Victoria. She called the head of security. “Pedro, I need an additional check on one of our captains. David Harley is based in Nisa. Gather everything you can find. I want to know who I’m dealing with.” Pedro Graves, a former police officer in his fifties, agreed without question. He had worked for Victoria’s father for over ten years and was one of the few people she trusted completely. Two days later, Pedro arrived at her office with a thick folder.
