Saab 2000s' future is

south of the equator

By Giff Johnson

MOST airline officials in the region agree: Air Marshall Islands classy Saab 2000 is the right size and speed for island hopping in the Pacific. Its 50 seats capacity is perfectly suited for the lightly travelled routes in the region which need frequency of service not

large volume.

The key question remains: can the high tech, computer driven twin-engine plane operate reliably in the region? Air Vanuatu thinks so, and is on the verge of signing a long term lease with Air Marshalls.

The Saab, despite an original price tag of $l6 million, has had a history of incon sistent performance during the nearly three years it has been in service with Air Marshall Islands (AMI). During the latter part of 1997, the Saab seemed to shake off its woes with almost six months of virtual

ly uninterrupted service on the Marshalls- Kiribati-Tuvalu-Fiji route, with charters for Air Vanuatu and other South Pacific air lines. Part of this may have reflected the decision in early 1997 to base the plane in Nadi so Air Pacific could provide major maintenance.

But an engine problem occurred in late January that grounded the Saab for two months, as cash-strapped AMI struggled to get refurbished engines back from mainte nance and to ship out the damaged engine.

Finally, however, the plane went back into service in March.

And now, a long term lease with Air Vanuatu to use the Saab is basically com pleted, said new AMI general manager Mark Mackay. “It’s 99.9 percent approved,” he said.

The hang-up is that since AMI owns the plane but Air Vanuatu will be operating it, there are regulatory requirements that have to be met before the lease can go into effect.

“We hope to sign the lease soon,” he

said in early May. “We’re both ready.”

AMI is keen to see the deal go through because it will generate needed income for the Majuro-based air carrier that is trying to stem a tide of red ink.

Earlier in the year, Air Vanuatu was attempting to purchase its own Saab direct ly from the Sweden-based company, but delays in the availability of a new Saab brought Air Vanuatu and Air Marshalls together. Despite recent media reports that AMI is looking to sell the Saab to Air Vanuatu, Mackay said: “It’s news to me.”

During April, Air Vanuatu chartered the Saab for service connecting Port Vila with Nadi and Noumea, and is continuing to charter the Saab on an as-needed basis until the lease is approved, Mackay said. The planned lease period is for six months, with an option to renew. “It helps them and it helps us out,” Mackay said of the deal.

“It’s a good example of cooperation among regional air carriers.”

The lease to Air Vanuatu will not reduce AMDs service to Tuvalu, Mackay said.

AMI is the national carrier for Tuvalu, which does not have its own airline. “We will still service Tuvalu by leasing back the Saab from Air Vanuatu,” he said.

AMI has returned to using an older British-built HS74B twin engine plane to provide twice weekly service connecting Majuro with Kiribati, Tuvalu and Fiji. ■

The Air Marshalls saab 2000 which has now been leased to Air Vanuatu.