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P/COURIER
Mon, 22 Mar 2010
BUKA, PNG ------ Bougainvilleans can breathe a sigh of relief because a major assistance for effective service delivery in the region is soon to be established.
A new airline industry is being formed, to service the whole of Bougainville and Solomon Islands in the next two months.
Air Bougainville, as it will be called, is the new airline for Bougainville which is scheduled to make its inaugural run throughout the region in two months.
Local operator and executive Albert Magoi told the Post-Courier yesterday they are going into partnership with Australian long-time pilot Robert Keys who also owns and runs the Solomon Islands Sea Planes Limited to run the operation.
In an interview at the office, Mr Keys and Magoi announced they are finalizing arrangements including the licence issue with the Papua New Guinea Civil Aviation Authority in Port Moresby before they start their service operation in Bougainville and the Solomon Islands.
Two Embraer Bandeirante planes have already been bought and are going through a full maintenance check in Australia, ready for use in the region once all papers are in place. A Grumman Goose flying boat is already servicing Solomon Islands and is also ready to make its inaugural flight to Bougainville once licences and documentation are complete.
“We are ready to start within the next two months…basically to service all airstrips in the region and across to Solomon Islands,” Keys said
The War Relics operation team in Torokina, the frontliners of this airline, have already cleared the Torokina airstrip, where the main base will be and checks have already been made to clear that airstrip.
All offices will be established in all airstrips around Bougainville including Nissan, Buin, Tonu, Siwai, Buka, Arawa and Solomon Islands and the full program will be released once approval of licences have been sought from PNG CAA office.
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