The national carrier of the Solomon Islands, Solomon Airlines announces it will re-enter the Fiji market starting this Saturday. Solomon Airline says this is based on the previous approved operation. The route is Honiara via Port Vila to Nadi each Saturday, returning on Sunday.
The Parliamentary Opposition has said whilst the flight impasse has been lifted, it is concerned that the core issue of the dispute between Solomon Islands and Fiji has not been resolved.
An official delegation from the Solomon Islands Government will be leaving for Fiji later this month in efforts to initiate a review of the 2010 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) of air services that will soon expire.
Solomon Airlines is still unsatisfied with the outcome of talks over the airline impasse despite an agreement reached with the Fijian government. A Solomon Airlines spokesman says the recent communique agreed has achieved nothing in terms of fairness and equality.
The Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau (SIVB) Chief Executive Officer, Josefa ‘Jo’ Tuamoto has welcomed the decision by the Solomon Islands government and its Fijian counterpart to end the impasse between the two countries airlines – an outstanding issue since last July.
Solomon Islands and Fiji have decided today to lift the Air Services Agreement suspension to allow Fiji Airways and Solomon Airlines to provide air services immediately.
State-Owned Enterprise, Solomon Airlines has suspended its flights to and from Balalae airstrip in the Shortland Islands following reports of failure by the Civil Aviation authorities to pay the maintenance contractor.
Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has expressed appreciation over the progress made by Honiara and Suva in their move to swiftly resolve the air service row between Solomon Islands and Fiji.
Fiji Civil Aviation Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum explains the events leading to the suspension of direct flights from Nadi to Honiara. Opposition MP Semesa Karavaki questioned in Parliament why the services remained suspended because it was proving costly to travel to Honiara on an alternate route.
The Solomon Islands Government will charter six flights to fly home students studying in various educational institutions in Fiji. Freelancer George Atkin reports,the charter flight arrangement is a result of Solomon Islands Government’s refusal to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Fiji…
Solomon Airlines has released its new Northern Winter timetable to be effective next Monday. The Airlines today says, domestic flights have increased to ports with much needed services such as Choiseul and Rennell province to further meet it’s mandates to serve the people.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade states, there is no ‘break down’ of talks between respective Governments of Fiji and Solomon Islands over the current airlines impasse as stated by the print media last Friday and today.
Solomon Islanders will wait until a new government is elected to re-negotiate a settlement of the three months aviation impasse with Fiji. A delegation of senior government officials from Honiara was in Suva last week to thrash out pending issues with their Fiji counterparts.
The member of parliament for North Vella Lavella, and Chairman of the Parliamentary Foreign Relations Committee, Milner Tozaka has called on the Care-taker Government to apologize to Fiji as a possible way to resolve strained relations between Solomon Airlines and Fiji Airways.
A former politician has called on both the governments of Solomon Islands and Fiji to resolve the airlines saga as it has gone too far and only contribute to hardship for travellers between the two countries.
Solomon Airline General Manager operations and commercial, Gus Kraus is calling on the Solomon Islands and Fiji Prime Ministers to quickly solve the current row over civil aviation rights, which has affected flights between the two countries for more than two months now.
The Minister for Aviation has accused Fiji of ‘dictating’ and ‘interfering’ with Solomon Airlines operations into Fiji. The impasse between the Airlines of the two countries began in mid-July this year, and the stand-off is now into its seventh week.
The South Pacific Tourism Organisation (SPTO) says the current airline impasse between Solomon Islands and Fiji will have a direct impact on tourism and trade related industries.
Solomon Airlines code-sharing flights to Fiji operated through Air Niugini has been suspended. Fiji Times Online reported today, the airline was informed of the suspension by Permanent Secretary for Civil Aviation, Sharvada Sharma in a letter last week.
Solomon Islands is suspending Fiji Airways flights to and from Honiara starting on Tuesday 15 July, 2014, following the denial of entry of Solomon Airlines flights to Nadi over the weekend by Fijian authorities.
