From yesterday's Solomon Star newspaper.
AN Australian airline says it will drop millions of dollars in outstanding claims against Solomon Airlines if it is given the right to operate the Honiara-Brisbane route.
SkyAirWorld made the offer as its officials arrived in Honiara for talks with the government and Solomon Airlines.
Chief Executive Officer of the SkyAirWorld, David Charlton, told the Solomon Star last night they are looking forward to having fruitful discussions with local officials.
Solomon Airlines has a valid lease agreement with SkyAirWorld, under which the national carrier acquired a E-170 aircraft.
But Solomon Airlines abandoned the lease earlier this year when it realised it could not pay due to the cost involved.
As a result the E-170 aircraft was grounded in Brisbane, although the three-year lease agreement, signed in April this year, is still valid.
After abandoning its deal with SkyAirWorld, Solomon Airlines took an unprecedented move by entering into a new lease agreement with another Australian airline, Oz Jet.
The action angered SkyAirWorld, which recently demanded millions of dollars from Solomon Airlines in outstanding payments.
However, SkyAirWorld chief executive Mr Charlton said they are here to talk.
“We came with a bag of options,” Mr Charlton said.
“Our position is if your Government give us the right to operate the Honiara-Brisbane route, we will look favourably at waiving all the obligations that Solomon Airlines have with us,” he said.
Mr Charlton said they would be asking the government to give them the right to do that.
“We will start immediately if we are given the approval,” he said.
“We hope to reach an outcome with Solomon Airlines.
“If not, we’ll seek dialogue with the government and we will seek to offer the government the opportunity for us to take over the international operations,” he said.
Mr Charlton said like any business, if they are given the go-ahead, they will pay tax, royalty and other sources of income to the government.
Further, he said, they are planning to improve infrastructure and potentially offering subsidy to Solomon Airlines domestic operations.
Wish my business could offer the wrong product initially then turn it around to use as a lever to get substantial rights. Seems like a threat to me in any other language, and the island culture doesn't take too kindly to such - unless it contains the right amount of sweetener
“We came with a bag of options,”
to allow common sense to be put aside. But then, common sense has been lacking in this whole debacle.
All the business community here wants is a decent, capable and reliable service with a suitable aircraft. Why would using the Embraer again under any sort of new arrangement be any better than it was in the past? Can it now carry more bags and passengers? Can it carry enough fuel to allow more than one approach before diverting to Santos? (that would be
very handy when Santo is unsuitable 'cos it can't carry enough fuel for anywhere else at present).
The new arrangement with the 737-200 has already seen bags left behind in Brisbane - when will Solomon Airlines look at the problem properly????
