When Solomon Airlines new international aircraft took off on its maiden flight from Brisbane to Honiara yesterday, for the first time in the airline’s history, both pilots were born and raised in Solomon Islands.
Proudly at the controls was local pilot, Captain Daniel Leong, the first Solomon Islands pilot to graduate as an Airbus A320 First Officer. Flying with him was Captain Mark Purdie, also born in Solomon Islands and is now the national carrier’s Manager of Flight Operations and also an Airbus A320 Training Captain.
Captain Leong completed his A320-200 training requirements earlier this year successfully performing line check training on a Solomon Airlines flight between Brisbane and Auckland via Honiara and Port Vila.
