SOLOMON AIRLINES POSITIVE ABOUT NEW CODE SHARING

Solomon Airlines Airbus A302 at the Honiara International Airport. Photo credit: SIBC.

Solomon Airlines is optimistic, the new code share arrangement between national airline of Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu will ease the constraints of operating in Australia to another third party country.

Today Pacific Islands News Association reports General Manager of Operations & Commercial, Gus Kraus says within the agreement the three Regional airlines expect to operate direct into the Asia and broader markets as securing visas has been the major constrain in operating through Australia.

Mr Kraus says the new code share link is natural as Air Niugini now gets three flights a week to Honiara and intends to include the Vila route as the fourth one.

Mr Kraus explains if Air Vanuatu and Solomon Airlines sign an air service agreement with other Asian contenders, then the code share arrangement could go from Vila through to Singapore or Vila through to Hong Kong or Solomons through to Manila or Solomons through to Singapore or elsewhere.

SIBC News understand the new code share arrangement is expected to start in June.