Bill Meeke to head Solomon Airlines

[Wirraway]

Australian to head Solomon Airlines

The former boss of Western Australia's Sky West Airlines, Bill Meeke, has been offered a two year contract as Chief Executive of the Solomon Airlines, the national carrier.

He was chosen by a selection committee set up by the Solomon Islands Aviation Minister, Michael Maina.

Mr Maina himself has been Acting General Manager of Solomon Airlines since December, after he convinced the board to sack the former General Manager.

Solomon Airlines operates both domestic and international services although it's now using Air Vanuatu's jet on international routes.


22/04/2003 05:09:43 | ABC Radio Australia News

[Torres]

SOLOMON AIRLINES HIRES GENERAL MANAGER
HONIARA, Solomon Islands (SIBC, April 17) - Solomon Airlines has a new general manager - Bill Meeke from Australia. Meeke replaces Michael Maina who became the Airline’s interim general manager after the termination of the former general manager's contract, Gideon Zoleveke Jr. at the end of last year. The appointment came after four months of international recruitment activity, with 70 applications for the post of general manager. The selection committee unanimously choose Meeke as having a very high level of understanding in the civil aviation operations, finance, personal management, marketing, aircraft and regulations. Meeke has extensive regional airline experience and has been general manager of several regional airlines in Australia, including Sky West and East-West Airlines. His recent role is as an aviation consultant, currently supporting the formation and expansion of a new regional airline in Australia. Meeke has served on numerous aviation industry and government committees and boards relating to aviation standards, safety and industry development. He is currently a board member of the Regional Aviation Association of Australia.

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Anyone kept count of the number of GM's in recent years?

[Eastwest Loco]

If Bill can't make Solly hum, then they are beyond hope Torres.

Good to hear indeed that he is still out there.

Top bloke.

Best

EWL

[aerosoul]

Great to hear Mr Meeke has found a job outside Australia! Good luck Solomon Airlines.............your gunna need it!

[Apollo 4]

There is no doubt that Bill has extensive industry knowledge and a wealth of enthusiasm for advancement, Solly airlines will be all the better for employing him. First met Bill at Perth with East West, very cleaver bloke.

As for Sky West the idots kicked out the only person who knows what an aircraft looks like. I fear that the lunatics are running the asylum and soon all the good work of the employees post Ansett, especially the cabin crews (vicky and co) will be for nought. The board wouldn't listen when Bill clued them in and most likely the whole show will fall like a pack of cards.

Is it true that Steve has an application in with Rex ???

:oh: :ok:

[Lusimtingting]

Torres

Former G.M's.......

Some names to start with...

Cpt John Seaton
Roly Bober
Paul Reid
Graham Hawthorne
Steve Wilkes
John Baura
Gideon Zoleveke

[Torres]

Lusimtingting. My, what a collection you have there! :D

Well I remember about six out of seven. I wonder whatever happened to number 2?

:}

[Lusimtingting]

Torres

Heard he retired to Nambucca Heads area some years ago.
Also heard he had a problem with cancer of the buttock. The nearest similar was a gibbon's bum so it was decided to transplant one , the operation went off okay but the bum rejected him

[Torres]

Lusimtingting. His first wife called me some years ago to see if I could confirm he’d passed away. She was quite distraught when I told her he’d been seen recently. :}

[skywest_xr]

Excuse my ignorance, but who is Steve?

[Lusimtingting]

Torres

Two more ex Solomons/Solair G.M.'s.....

Paul Brown

Jimmy Birrell (Gawd help us)

[Stick Pusher]

Wonder if he'll sue Solomon asap? it would be par for the course really. I guess G.T won't have anyone to write about and to be his aviation analysist. I hope he writes something about B.M going to Solomon and gets it on page 1. I'm sure it would be a newsworthy article, and a top factual read!!!:} :8

P.S

"His recent role is as an aviation consultant, currently supporting the formation and expansion of a new regional airline in Australia":ooh:

What airline??? another pie in the sky sales pitch? Did anyone buy it? :hmm: Did G.T know about it? Soooo many questions, so many important answers... G.T :ok: give me the real facts oh wise one....:ugh:

[Torres]

Lusimtingting. Another two I know. I received a recent email from "General Manager" of a PNG airline based in Madang. The email was from none other than James Moresby.

Yes, Solair has certainly had an extensive repertoire of General Managers since my first involvement over 20 years ago. I wonder how long Bill will last, and will that appointment end in the usual litigation?

One would need to be a masochist to take on management of almost any of the Pacific island airlines!

[Lusimtingting]

Torres

Wasn't Jim Bradfield yet another one...that would make at least 10 of them.

[Staggerwing]

John Witt until he stood on Junior's toes, followed by Tony Perkins who soon got sick of the crap he had to put up with.

[olderairhead]

And speaking of Jim, where is Birrell these days?

[Knulp]

Wheres Witty John these days?

[Torres]

Knulp. I haven't heard of John Witt since he left Talair maybe 25 years ago.

Older. G'day Wantok. Birrell is with Airlink in Madang.

Lusimtingting. Don't remember Jim Bradfield. Where did he fit in?

[Kwaj mate]

Torres, he was ex QF, just before Gideon Zol. jr.
He then went to Tonga, about '96.
I hear Floyd Smith just left from the BNE office - lightening strikes again.

[Lusimtingting]

Torres

John Witt has been running "The Coffee Pot" cafe in Hervey Bay for quite a few years now.

Jim Bradfield was also the son of Dr K.N.E.Bradfield who was Joe Tauvasa's mentor for the position of Controller of Civil Aviation back in the 70's

[Torres]

A coffee shop, eh! Wondered where Witty had gone.

I remember Doc Bradfield. And Joe Tauvasa of course.

[geoffrey thomas]

Stickpusher: If Bill accepts the offer then I will write about it.
GT

[FarCu]

If this is the same MEEKE that's supposed to inherit the earth, I think he got a bum deal.
Birrell, Tauvasa and Wilks!! Is the Solomons where you go to learn how to be an A$@ehole?

[Torres]

No FarCu, I think the Solomons is where you go when your aviation career has no where to go in Australia.

Rather like the end of the line!

[Kwaj mate]

Torres
There is a book on the time frame BM will be in the chair.
The common trend has been towards a 3 to 4 months period as GM/IE.
How bout your thoughts & comments.

[Torres]

Kwaj It's been almost 20 years since I had anything to do with IE, and then it was only peripheral. I would think 3 to 4 months at most would well and truly see BM come and go.....

It would be a fair bet that the national airlines of PNG, Solomons, Nauru and Tonga probably score very highly against the following criteria:

Undercapitalised .... and/or
Trading at a loss .... and/or
Trading insolvent .... and/or
Have a deficite of shareholders funds .... and/or
Have old and/or tired aircraft .... and/or
Operate to a schedule influenced by politics .... and/or
Have a Board of political appointees .... and/or
Have the cash flow "tickled" occasionally.

If "and" is the applicable word, I don't care if you are JC, the Pope, George W, Bagdad Bob and Woomera all rolled into one, you don't have a snow ball's chance in hell of ever making a commercial, viable and profitable airline.

Why would anyone submit themselves to such masochism, knowing the result and outcome is totally, unalterably inevitable?

:8

[Torres]

Also heard today that IE haven't been permitted a domestic air tariff increase in five years....... Tariff regulation has been rather the norm for a number of Pacific countries, for many years.