north Pacific flight

Aloha set for first north Pacific flight

ALOHA Airlines plans to start its first flights to the Marshall Islands and Federated States of Micronesia in May, following US

Defense Department approval in late February of refu elling stops at Johnston Island, a top Aloha executive said.

The Defense Department removed an obstacle to the new service, agreeing to increase the number of commercial flights that can land at the Johnston atoll military facility from five to seven each week. Kurt Campbell, the deputy assistance secre tary for Asian and Pacific Affairs at the Pentagon informed President Imata Kabua of this in a letter dated February 19.

“We have undertaken this action because the United States government is committed to assisting the Republic of the Marshall Islands and Micronesia in obtaining economic self-suf ficiency and economic growth,” Campbell said. Adequate com mercial air service is “a necessity” for development, he said, adding that “flights through Johnston would provide a vital link in such air service.” Jim King, Aloha’s vice president for plan ning and marketing, said that access to refuelling at Johnston

was essential to the service because Aloha uses Boeing 737 aircraft on the route that cannot carry adequate fuel for a non-stop trip. Johnston is a military facility being used to destroy World War

II nerve gas and chemical agents and is close to the mid-point of the 2,300 miles separating Honolulu from Majuro.

When Aloha launches its air service, it will be the first American air carrier in more than 10 years to compete against Continental Micronesia, which currently operates a monopoly service on this north Pacific route. Since Continental cut back its service from three to two weekly flights last September, com plaints from the Marshall Islands government and local resi dents have been escalating as passengers, cargo and mail have suffered numerous delays from the lack of space on Continental.

"If the Department of Defense moves quickly and there are no unexpected internal issues, we could be flying as soon as May,” said King.

Marshalls’ Foreign Minister Phillip Muller confirmed the Defense Department approval for two extra stop-overs at Johnston, saying that the Marshalls “has some very good friends in the Defense Department” who helped make this possible. ■