Marshall Islands set to award emergency cargo contract

Nauru Airlines set to secure US foreign air carrier permit

Nauru Airlines (ON, Nauru) has tentatively secured a foreign air carrier permit from the US Department of Transportation (DOT), allowing it to operate scheduled passenger and cargo flights between Nauru and Guam International, and Nauru and Honolulu via intermediary points, and the right to operate charter services between Nauru and any point or points in the United States.

In May 2023, Nauru Airlines requested an exemption under 49 USC §40109, and a foreign air carrier permit under 49 USC §41301, 2 to operate scheduled and charter foreign air transportation of persons, property, and mail between Nauru and the US. That application was approved in a decision published on September 21. In 2017, Nauru Airlines applied for, and received, a DOT-issued foreign air carrier permit. However, the airline never exercised those rights and they lapsed.

The approval is for five years and subject to conditions. While the proposed fifth-freedom combination services on the Nauru-Guam (via Tarawa, Majuro, and Pohnpei) and Nauru-Honolulu (via Tarawa, Majuro, and Kiribati) sectors specified in the application...

Air Vanuatu's sole B737 grounded, awaiting turbine APU

Air Vanuatu (NF, Port Vila) has grounded its sole B737-800 due to a mechanical issue, severely disrupting the carrier's scheduled service and stranding thousands of passengers at airports around the South Pacific during a peak school holiday period.

The 7.68-year-old B737-800 registered as YJ-AV8 (msn 42052) is the carrier's only jet. It was grounded for unscheduled and unspecified technical reasons after arriving at Brisbane International on September 18. The aircraft normally operates flights to that airport as well as Sydney Kingsford Smith, Nadi, and Auckland International. It is the second time YJ-AV8 has unexpectedly gone out of service this year, and similar issues occurred over the busy Southern Hemisphere 2022/23 summer school holiday period.

On September 25, Air Vanuatu advised that it expects disruptions to continue until late this month, saying that the lengthy wait is due to a delay in procuring and flying in the necessary spare part. "The completion of necessary work has encountered unexpected challenges, making it impossible for us to provide an exact timeframe for...

Editorial Comment: Updated with information that identifies the particular problem that caused the grounding - 26.09.2023 - 09:20 UTC

Gov't cuts Nauru Airlines' freight subsidy

Air Kiribati adds wet-leased B737 capacity

Air Kiribati (IK, Tarawa) has wet-leased B737-700 from Nauru Airlines (ON, Nauru) to operate scheduled flights between Tarawa and Kiritimati. Air Kiribati posted the announcement to its social media accounts on August 2, with weekly roundtrips starting on August 11 after operating flights to Kiritimati on an ad-hoc basis since early June.

The 3,200-kilometre sector between the country's capital and its Christmas Island outpost (not to be confused with Australia's Christmas Island territory in the Indian Ocean) is beyond the range of Air Kiribati's single DHC-8-100, DHC-6-400, and three DHC-6-300s.

"This collaboration aims to provide a seamless and convenient travel experience for passengers, enhancing connectivity between these two beautiful destinations. Flights are available from Brisbane to Kiritimati, Nauru and Tarawa to Kiritimati," said Nauru Airlines via social media.

Air Kiribati has a long-running partnership with Nauru Airlines. That airline, along with Fiji Airways (FJ, Nadi), are the only scheduled international passenger carriers flying into Kiribati. Nauru Airlines presently flies a B737-700 into Tarawa every Thursday...