MAJURO, Marshall Islands (12 Apr 2008) — Will Air Marshall Islands finally get a plane off the ground next week, after more than six months with no domestic service? That is the question in most people¹s minds in the Marshall Islands, following Taiwan's second large grant of aid to the grounded airline. Earlier in the week, Taiwan Ambassador Bruce J. D. Linghu presented a check for $600,000 to Foreign Minister Tony deBrum and assistant secretary of Finance Jemi Nashion. The latest grant bumps the total funding Taiwan has provided since January for Air Marshall Islands to $1.6 million. Air Marshall Islands' Dash-8 has been grounded since October 1, while its Dornier 228 has been out of service since August last year. Despite the Taiwan funding, AMI officials are still unsure when the 34-seat Dash-8 will be back in service. Indications are it could be as early as the beginning of next week, depending on the arrival of a final set of parts expected this weekend. But AMI officials said in January when the first $1 million in Taiwan funding arrived, it would take three to four weeks for the Dash to be back in service. That funding arrived on January 18 and there still hasn't been a flight. Last week, a second Bikinian living on a remote outer island died for lack of medical evacuation services, and the Bikinians' scuba dive business at the former nuclear test site has been forced to refund thousands of dollars in fees to divers from Europe and elsewhere because there is no air service to Bikini atoll. "Over the years, bilateral relations between Marshall Islands and Taiwan have been further strengthened through many joint efforts," Linghu said at the check ceremony. "In response to the financial assistance need for the AMI's recovery plan, the government of the Republic of China acknowledged the importance of the airline to the Marshall Islands'¹ infrastructure as it provides essential services for transportation, health, education and welfare as well as economic development in the communities of the outer
islands." The airline thought it would have the Dash up and running a week ago, but parts ordered and received last week did not fit the plane, necessitating discussions between AMI and the manufacturer to resolve the issue, said AMI General Manager Dan Fitzpatrick. Mechanics were working on the plane at week's end, with additional parts expected to arrive on the weekend and test flights possible early next week. But Bikini Atoll Divers official Jack Niedenthal said that the airline has offered no guarantee of service for next Wednesday's weekly flight to Bikini, forcing him to cancel the next group of international divers scheduled to fly to Bikini. | | Bikini Atoll Divers remains "grounded" and is considering shutting down due to the failure of Air Marshall Islands to get its planes in the air. "We¹re considering pulling the plug on the entire program if AMI can¹t get its planes into operation soon," Niedenthal said. Bikini launched scuba diving in 1996 on a fleet of World War II warships sunk by atom bomb tests in 1946, building a successful destination. Another issue for the Bikini dive program is that a one-plane airline cannot guarantee service. On more than one occasion late last year, the government was forced to dispatch its marine surveillance vessel to transport stranded scuba divers from Bikini back to Majuro, the capital. Since Air Marshall Islands service collapsed last October, Bikini has been forced to cancel many visits by divers to the atoll. Bikini Senator Tomaki Juda reported to the Nitijela (Parliament) that last week a nine month old baby boy died because he could not be medically evacuated to Majuro to receive a blood transfusion. He is the second Bikini child to die since AMI stopped flying last October. In late October, a sick 11-year-old Bikini girl died on a ship during a medical evacuation from Kili Island to the main hospital in Majuro. CDNN RELATED NEWSMARSHALL ISLANDS - Bikini Atoll Divers takes a diveMARSHALL ISLANDS - Bikini Atoll dive operations hit hard by airline woesSCUBA FORUMDISCUSS THIS TOPIC - Dive in and have your say at Scuba Forum |
