Australian start-up SkyAirWorld has experienced a delay in getting its air operator’s certificate (AOC), which means its wet-lease customer Solomon Airlines has turned to OzJet for a temporary wet-lease on a Boeing 737-200 so it can maintain services.

Solomon Airlines was originally planning to start using an Embraer E-170 from SkyAirWorld on 1 May but SkyAirWorld has yet to receive its AOC, says Napoleon Padabela Solomon Airlines general manager of operations.

SkyAirWorld “still has yet to get the AOC. The aircraft has to be certified [in Australia ] so they have to do some proving flights”, says Padabela, adding that it has been doing proving flights and the Australian authorities have been processing the AOC application.

Solomons Embraer 170

He says Solomon Airlines hopes the AOC will come through in time to start using the E-170 next week but in the meantime it will be wet-leasing temporarily a 737-200 from Australia’s OzJet to maintain services from Honiara to Brisbane in Australia and Nadi in Fiji and possibly Santo in Vanuatu.

Solomon Airlines was previously using a 737-300 from Spanish carrier Airclass Airways but Padabela says the airline returned that aircraft.

SkyAirWorld’s CEO, David Charlton, was unavailable for comment because he was on the E-170 which had a proving flight to Honiara.

The Australian carrier is a new operator and will be the first in Australia to operate the E-170.

 

Source: FlightGlobal.com

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