A report in The Australian says that Pacific Blue has emerged as the latest airline willing to fly to the Solomon Islands, applying to start Boeing 737 services to the Pacific island later this year.
The Virgin Blue offshoot yesterday lodged an application with the International Air Services Commission for 540 seats a week on the route and said it would be fully utilised by November next year. It asked for a five-year allocation.
“The proposed services will initially be operated twice a week by a wet-leased B737-300 aircraft fitted with 138 economy seats,” the airline said in its application.
“With market growth and fleet changes, the services will be upgraded to Pacific Blue B737-800 aircraft with 180 seats.”
Virgin was not commenting on the application yesterday, but it surprised Brisbane-based charter firm SkyAirWorld, which is planning to lodge its own application to fly to the Solomons next week.
SkyAirWorld suspended its Embraer 170 regional jet flights to the Solomons on August 10, saying it was not being paid under a leasing deal with Solomon Airlines.
The arrangement teamed Solomon Airlines’ cabin crew with SkyAirWorld pilots and the plan was to use the 76-seat regional jet on its Brisbane services for three years.
The Brisbane company said yesterday it was still interested in the route. SkyAirWorld chief executive David Charlton said the company would apply to fly daily services in its own right to the island and was in talks with the Solomon Islands Government.
“We’ve got a dialogue with the Solomon Islands Government and I wouldn’t want to presuppose that they don’t have something going with someone else,” Mr Charlton said.
Mr Charlton said Air Nauru currently operated on the route and it was possible the Virgin aircraft would substitute for that service.
SkyAirWorld was proposing to operate seven services a week. “We believe in the route and we believe we know a lot about the route and what it takes to make it profitable,” he said.
“Which is why we’re still interested in it and why we haven’t moved on as a function of ceasing operations for Solomon Airlines.”
Mr Charlton said SkyAirWorld believed it had a “fantastic product” for the route.
“We’re happy to take our chances,” he said.
“I’m glad Pac Blue thinks it’s a good route too.”
Report by The Mole
