Page 16 - IB May 2025

Aviation

Continued from page 14 The targeted areas will include management systems and
regulatory compliance, flight operations, crew training,
engineers, technical services, continuing airworthiness, load engineering and maintenance, cabin operations, ground
controllers, ground operations personnel, IT technicians, handling, cargo, fueling, and security.
human resources, and other areas.’’ Tohi made the comments ahead of the 43rd ASPA Annual
Tohi said the aviation industry was and economic enabler, General Meeting in Honiara, Solomon Islands, where members
directly contributing to 15 of the 17 United Nations will discuss and share ideas and experiences, which will allow
Sustainable Development Goals. and facilitate airlines to work in closer collaboration in key
“ASPA will likely need to identify potential candidates areas.
(Subject Matter Experts) in the various areas of airline Safety management and quality assurance are two areas
operations to form and coordinate a pool of technical experts, of shared interest which delegates are expected to discuss in
who can offer technical assistance to its member airlines in detail.
eight key operational areas.’’

TRAINING IS THE KEY

SAFETY REMAINS PRIORITY

By Ema Ganivatu “Airports, roads, internet
connectivity—many of them
Expanded training will be the supporting aviation—are poor, and
backbone of plans to strengthen some runways are still unsealed,”
regional aviation over the next five he said.
years. Another challenge is regional
The Association of South Pacific connectivity, which Smith said is
Airlines (ASPA) has laid out an more political than commercial.
ambitious roadmap for collaboration “For the most part, trade between
and support for its initiatives ahead island states is minimal. The
of its regional conference in Honiara, political aspirations for increased
Solomon Islands this month. Integral infrastructure .... the aviation industry needs support from connectivity do not align with the
governments.
ASPA’s Acting Chairman, Ewan Smith, commercial reality,” he said.
told Islands Business one of the Association’s key priorities In efforts to improve access in the Northern Pacific, Smith
was to improve airline safety and operational standards. said there have been attempts to subsidize flights.
“We’ll be facilitating and providing airline-specific training “Through DFAT funding, there are subsidized flights to
through IATA, and creating a pool of subject matter experts connect the Northern Pacific via Nauru to Brisbane. However,
drawn from the airline members to help an airline prepare for demand from Australia is not strong enough to sustain this,”
IOSA and assist in addressing IOSA Audit Findings,” Smith said. he said.
He also noted the importance of collaboration among He added that “the main tourism market for the Northern
airlines, especially in safety oversight. Pacific is China, but with current geopolitical tensions, this
“We are sharing internal safety audits of common market has essentially dried up.”
contracted service providers – ground handling in Brisbane, When asked what the region must do to boost tourism,
flight simulators, fuel providers, cargo agents, and MROs,” he Smith was clear: “Offer unique experiences that tourists want
said. and are willing to pay for.”
To further this collaboration, ASPA will continue to host two Sustainability is still a big challenge for Pacific airlines,
conferences per year. and Smith was clear about the challenges of transitioning to
“These events allow members and industry service partners greener fuels.
to come together, share experiences, learn, and network at “This may be possible, but the costs for hybrid or
the one location,” said Smith. alternative fuels are four to five times higher than for Jet
Despite these initiatives, Smith acknowledged that Pacific A1,” he said.
aviation faces significant problems. “The Pacific region is far from major suppliers, so there will
“Access to funding is a major issue, to enable purchase of be supply chain issues.
modern, fuel-efficient aircraft and spares,” he said. “At this stage, even larger airlines in developed countries
In addition, “there is competition for competent, are struggling with any realistic plan to achieve emission
qualified, experienced personnel covering flight operations, targets,” he added.
maintenance, and safety management.” ASPA remains focused on driving regional collaboration
However, infrastructure remains a major barrier to and building a safer, more connected aviation future for the
development and expansion of the aviation industry. Pacific.

16 Islands Business, May 2025