Pionair Australia (PH, Sydney Bankstown) has applied to the Australian International Air Services Commission (IASC) for scheduled route authorities covering the Pacific islands of Nauru, Kiribati, and the Solomon Islands.

According to applications filed with the IASC in late September, the passenger and cargo specialist plans to run a 2x weekly Brisbane International-Tarawa combined passenger and cargo service via Honiara and Nauru. Operations will be onboard an E190-E2 or equivalent.

It also applied to run a 2x weekly return passenger service covering 184 seats weekly between Brisbane and Honiara using an E190-E2 and unrestricted cargo service using BAe 146-200(QT)/BAe 146-300(QT) equipment.

For Tarawa, in Kiribati, it applied to run a 2x weekly return passenger service plus a 2x weekly dedicated cargo return using BAe 146-200/300 freighter equipment.

For Nauru, it sought two combined passenger and cargo frequencies plus unrestricted dedicated cargo rights using BAe 146-200/300 jets.

The authorities, if granted, are to be for five years commencing March 11, 2020.

At present, Pionair operates one BAe 146-200, two BAe 146-200(QC)s, three -200(QT)s, and one -300(QT). According to CargoFacts, it is also in the process of acquiring three more -300(QT)s from WDL Aviation (Cologne/Bonn) in Germany. The carrier specialises in FIFO (Fly-In, Fly-Out) charters, air cargo (dangerous and non-dangerous goods), ad-hoc air charters. and ACMI services.