HONIARA, Solomon Islands (26 Oct 2001) -- The general manager of Solomon Airlines, Gideon Zoleveke, Jr., has flown to Australia to meet personally with officials of Australia's Civil Aviation and Safety Authority, who suspended the airline's air operations certificate during the weekend. Radio Australia correspondent Sean Dorney reports that Qantas has also repossessed the Boeing 737 passenger jet that it had been leasing to Solomon Airlines. "The relationship between Solomon Airlines and Qantas has not been a happy one for some time. "Last year, Qantas infuriated the airline's management by refusing to allow the leased 737 - which was painted in Solomon Airlines colors -- to fly into or out of Honiara after the Solomon Islands' coup, even when Air Niugini resumed flights. | | "Now, Qantas has told Solomon Airlines it needs the jet in Australia to meet the extra demand created by the collapse of Ansett Airlines. "The general manager of Solomon Airlines, Gideon Zoleveke, Jr., has organized a charter deal with Air Vanuatu to fly its Brisbane and Nadi routes. That was to have begun in November anyway, but it's now been brought forward. "Nevertheless, Mr. Zoleveke has still flown to Australia to try to resolve the safety issues that led the Civil Aviation and Safety Authority to suspend Solomon Airline's air operations certificate. SOURCE - Radio Australia |
