Plans appear to have stalled for China’s state-owned aerospace and defence conglomerate Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) to upgrade dozens of airstrips in the Solomon Islands to transform the Pacific Islands country into a regional hub, reports Australia’s ABC News.
In return, the Solomon Islands government would purchase six aircraft from AVIC's commercial aircraft division, according to a leaked Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 2019. AVIC is a major manufacturer of civil aircraft in China, including the MA-600 and upcoming MA-700.
Implementation of the MoU seems to have stalled due to COVID-19. Solomons - Solomon Airlines Chief Executive Officer Brett Gebers told ABC News he was unaware of the agreement. Currently, the airline’s fleet consists of one A320-200 leased from Carlyle Aviation Partners and four in-house turboprops used on domestic routes, including three DHC-6-300s and one DHC-8-100, the ch-aviation fleets module reveals.
The MoU states the Solomon Islands' intention to turn its capital Honiara into a regional hub with direct flights to/from China. "For this vision, [the] Solomon [Islands] need to acquire new planes, such as MA60/MA700 and Y12 aircraft, and refurbish airfields," it reads. The sale would "depend on the further negotiations on price and concessional terms". It would require "ultimate approval of the board of [the] Solomon Islands and the Government of [the] Solomon Islands". For its part, AVIC would upgrade 35 airstrips across the islands in two phases.
The signing of the MoU in November 2019 by Solomon Islands Minister for Communication and Aviation Peter Shanel Agovaka came after the Pacific nation switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to Beijing. Last month, China and the Solomon signed a security pact, stoking fears in Australia over potential Chinese military presence on the islands.
Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and the World Bank already support airport infrastructure upgrades in the Solomon Islands.
