Services operated by Solomon Airlines Dash-8 aircraft to Munda and Gizo has been affected due to lack of sufficient fuel.
This was confirmed by Solomon Airlines Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Paul Abbot in a statement issued on Sunday.
At the same he also apologised to customers and tourism operators impacted by recent interruptions to Dash-8 operated services.
“The airline apologised to customers and tourism operators for inconvenience caused by interruptions to the Dash 8 aircraft operations, which have now been exacerbated by the impact of insufficient aviation fuel supplies in Munda and Gizo.
“The Dash 8 aircraft had been operating a reduced schedule with restrictions, while we were awaiting a replacement part.
“That part has been received, and we will resume our full Dash 8 scheduled operations as a soon as possible.
“Unfortunately, we are now additionally hampered by low to no fuel availability at Munda and Gizo, which is extremely frustrating,” he said
Abbot explained, insufficient fuel availability at these destinations requires the aircraft carrying double fuel amounts from Honiara which in turn limits the aircraft’s ability to operate with full passenger loads due to weight requirements.
“The issue was never related to safety, it was a matter of necessary maintenance and our decision to limit operations was due to adhering strictly to the aircraft manufacturers guidelines and regulatory compliance requirements.
“To maintain reliable air services in Solomon Islands requires the smooth operation of all parts of our aviation system – airlines, airports, fuel suppliers and adherence to regulatory compliance.
“We will never compromise on safety and do fully appreciate the importance of reliable air services to customers, communities and tourism industry.
“Our operations and engineering teams are working hard with all parties so we can reinstate our full Dash-8 schedule as soon as possiblem,” Mr Abbot said.
Solomon Airlines will provide updates to the public once these issues are sorted out.
