Vanair takes

to the sky

VANUATU’S new domestic airline, Vanair, is now in operation after taking over from the former pri vate operator, Air Melanesie. The gov ernment signalled several months ago it wanted to nationalise the nation’s domes tic air services, and has since bought four of the aircraft from the private company three Britten-Norman Islan ders and a Trilander. The owner of Air Melanesie, Dennis Buchanan, was re portedly paid US$5OO,OOO by the gov ernment.

Buchanan also owns Talair, of Papua New Guinea, the biggest private domes tic airline in the Pacific Islands. He told Pacific Islands Monthly he would sell two other air Melanesie aeroplanes in Au stralia and absorb two into the Talair fleet. Meanwhile, the other domestic Vanuatu carrier Doveair is still flying although the majority shareholder in that company, prominent Port Vila businessman Dinh van Tan, has said he is aware the government wants to even tually operate all internal air links.

Vanair began its operations with ser vices out of Port Vila to Tanna in the south and to the other main island, Espiritu Santo. Doveair has three air craft, and it is understood the govern ment intends it should continue to oper ate for a transitional period.

Buchanan said he hoped most of the local Air Melanesie staff would find jobs with the government airline. This ex cluded expatriate staff: his company’s chief engineer had not been able to re new his work permit after September 30, while the airline’s chief pilot will have no valid work permit after October 31. “I think they’ve used the work permits re fusal to force us to close down,” Bucha nan said.

He said he had been concerned about the company’s future since the Vanuatu government had last year nationalised the ground handling of aircraft at Port Vila’s Bauerfield airport. He had no ma jor regrets. D