Air Kiribati and Pionair (Bankstown) E190-E2 EIS meeting in Auckland last week
Join Date: Jan 2022
Location: Vicinity of YSSY
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I swung by Bankstown Airport yesterday and saw that the Air Kiribati E190-E2 is back and according to flightaware it’s been parked there since the 24th of November 2021.
It makes me wonder was the flight to Queensland just a publicity stunt?
Also the other E190 VH-SEF still has its full Pionair livery.
It makes me wonder was the flight to Queensland just a publicity stunt?
Also the other E190 VH-SEF still has its full Pionair livery.
Meanwhile, out in the Pacific, domestic flights between Bonriki and Cassidy are occurring on an almost regular basis. Local contacts tell me that several are planned for this month.
It is also rumoured that in an accounting sense past players are back in a mentoring role. Guess newspapers are not selling well.
It is also rumoured that in an accounting sense past players are back in a mentoring role. Guess newspapers are not selling well.
domestic flights between Bonriki and Cassidy
Certainly nothing direct (domestic) I could find in their schedule on their website. Happy to be corrected :-)
Local contact informs that the operation was undertaken using the Solomon's 320. Flightaware confirms the advice and the local contact advised that at least three more are planned for later this month to move school kids.
Unconfirmed report that the arrangement has very little to do with AKL and will be repeated in coming months. Pity about the loss of economic benefit for Fiji at the cost to Kiribati but this is a good example of the role of the big brother in the Pacific. .
I thought the Embraer was purchased for this domestic activity but it seems the government was misled . Can anyone help with the maths? What is 10% of the Embraer purchase price divided by three?
Gne
Unconfirmed report that the arrangement has very little to do with AKL and will be repeated in coming months. Pity about the loss of economic benefit for Fiji at the cost to Kiribati but this is a good example of the role of the big brother in the Pacific. .
I thought the Embraer was purchased for this domestic activity but it seems the government was misled . Can anyone help with the maths? What is 10% of the Embraer purchase price divided by three?
Gne
Air Kiribati
According to the Air Kiribati Facebook page they are arranging a scheduled (not chartered) service Brisbane to Tarawa (freight only) and vice versa (passengers and freight) on 12 March. Maybe the Embraer is entering service at last?
NOT SCHDULED AND NOT AIIR KIRIBATI
This is a PFP flight subsidized to the Australian government. The flight will be operated by IE, as were previous flights of this nature, which are arranged by local businesses.
Looks like some of the headshed at AKL are trying to look relevant on the international scene.
Gne.
Looks like some of the headshed at AKL are trying to look relevant on the international scene.
Gne.
Last edited by Gne; 5th Mar 2022 at 00:44.
Pionair currently doing CASA proving flights out of BNE Domestic with E190-E2 still in Air Kiribati livery.
Just for anyone interested.... Kiribati government have announced return to normal international services in and outbound from 1 August. 3 day quarantine, presumably so they can accommodate planeloads effectively. No news on carrier, but Air Solomons are increasing their frequency of TRW-BNE flights.
Embraer ready yet?
Embraer ready yet?
The Embraer
Interestingly, Pionair have revamped their website and no longer refer to the Air Kiribati Embraer. Instead, they say it's available to charter as their plane. Plane has also disappeared from the Air Kiribati website....
CASSIDY CLOSURE
Whether the Embraer is available for domestic operations or not it seems the safety oversight regulator has closed Cassidy due to safety concerns. Not too long ago the World Bank spent a couple of million of the folding stuff to improve safety at the airport but local contacts tell me the systems, particularly the lights were never commissioned. The question is "Why has the regulator waited so long to take action and what role has the regulator had in working towards remedies for whatever the safety deficiencies are? "
The Kanton refueler tells me that the regulator took no direct interest in the commissioning at the conclusion of the project in 2019.
The Bonriki refueler has advised the Head of the regulatory body left on leave immediately after closing Cassidy and did not delegate full responsibility to his temporary replacement so that when Cabinet asked what is occurring and asked for an exemption to be granted to allow Cassidy to remain open to allow hundreds of school kids to return to Kiritimati (Christmas) for Christmas the temp OIC was left in the lurch.
Strange goings on and high time ICAO stepped in to audit this highly dysfunctional body which does little to promote or improve safety. in the region.
Gne
The Kanton refueler tells me that the regulator took no direct interest in the commissioning at the conclusion of the project in 2019.
The Bonriki refueler has advised the Head of the regulatory body left on leave immediately after closing Cassidy and did not delegate full responsibility to his temporary replacement so that when Cabinet asked what is occurring and asked for an exemption to be granted to allow Cassidy to remain open to allow hundreds of school kids to return to Kiritimati (Christmas) for Christmas the temp OIC was left in the lurch.
Strange goings on and high time ICAO stepped in to audit this highly dysfunctional body which does little to promote or improve safety. in the region.
Gne