DEAR EDITOR, on behalf of Solomon Airlines, I would like to take this opportunity to apologise for any inconvenience experienced and to thank all our valued customers for their patience over the past few weeks.

As they would be aware, we recently experienced several disruptions which unfortunately occurred during one of the busiest seasons of the year.

Most of our problems were caused by the failure of the Airbus’ Auxiliary Power Unit (APU). The APU is a small jet engine usually housed in the tail of most aircraft. The APU provides electrical power and air for air-conditioning on the ground. In cases of the APU not working, all the aircraft manufacturers provide alternative procedures which allow the aircraft to continue operating safely.

These procedures require starting the aircraft using an external Air Start Unit (ASU) and a Ground Power Unit (GPU). The process is slow and cumbersome leading to late departures and unfortunately does not provide air-conditioning on the ground.

Managing disruptions over the festive season is always challenging due to the large number of passengers involved, staff being on leave and many suppliers being closed during the public holidays and this year proved particularly difficult with Christmas Day falling on a Monday and with many suppliers closed from mid-Friday until Wednesday morning.

Despite the difficult circumstances, we were able to maintain our International services, however we did experience a few delays while an alternative aircraft was sourced from Air Nauru and flown to Honiara from Brisbane.

I need to stress that in our business, safety always comes first!

Solomon Airlines has never operated any of its aircraft using procedures which are not approved by both the manufacturer and the regulating authorities.

If the aircraft cannot be operated in accordance with those procedures and regulations, we either replace the aircraft, as we did in this case, or we cancel the flight.

Domestic Services

As far as our domestic services go, we have unfortunately had to reschedule many flights over the past few months due to unserviceable equipment including weather radar, difficulty in obtaining spare parts, bad weather and heavy rains which flood runway surfaces.

Our domestic aircraft operate in harsh conditions caused primarily by the state of the runways that we operate to.

The rough surfaces of our domestic runways cause significant vibration during the landing and take-off phases of flight. This vibration is amplified in certain parts of the aircraft and often leads to the premature failure of components.

The failure of these components results in schedule disruptions as we must remove the aircraft from service to make the appropriate repairs.

We are not responsible for maintaining the runway surfaces throughout the Solomon Islands.

Because of the high costs of ongoing maintenance and cancelled or rescheduled flights, we have offered to pay for and do the required runway rehabilitation work on many occasions.

But on each occasion that we have requested permission to do this work, we have been denied the approval to do so.

In closing I would like to point out all airlines experience technical problems and disruptions to their services from time to time.

And while most have a large fleet of aircraft which allows them to minimise the effects of a disruption through rescheduling flights, we only have a small fleet of aircraft, so all delays and cancellations are immediately obvious to all concerned.

Again, we sincerely regret any inconvenience experienced by our customers but we will always cancel or reschedule a flight to ensure the safety of all concerned.

It goes without saying Solomon Airlines’ passenger and crew safety is paramount and must always come first.

Brett Gebers

CEO – Solomon Airlines

DEAR EDITOR, last week the SIG reported in a press release that the Government of Israel had offered help to the Solomon Islands in education and health.

This is a précis of what I read

“The offer came about following a meeting between the Solomon Islands Prime Minister Rick Houenipwela and the Israeli Ambassador to the Pacific Island States, Tibor Shalev Schlosser, in Honiara last week.

“The Israeli Government reportedly stands willing to help provide fully funded scholarships to undergo training in Israel.

“Israel can provide training in the areas for medical doctors, agriculture, health and also women empowerment,” Mr Schlosser said.

“The Ambassador also offered to help in the areas of climate change and health by sending doctors to Solomon Islands to assist in medical centres.”

Sending doctors to help in medical centres would be helpful, I am confident, but most, if not all, of the country’s rural medical clinics are very old, practically derelict and have ceased to function.

In his post-election pledge to the nation, the PM the Hon Rick Hou, said he would be giving priority to the restoration of rural health clinics.

The numbers of people failing to get adequate and proper medical care has reached disturbing statistics and I cite, as in the past, the situation at Tatamba in Isabel Province and at Panueli on Savo Island where upwards of 15,000 in the two communities have special difficulty in accessing their health care needs.

If foreign governments, like Israel, are charitable enough to want to help the Solomon Islands then it would be my wish that donor aid is directed to the early rehabilitation of the country’s rural health clinics and help also given to supporting the health care providers that would be needed to work from there.

Yours sincerely

FRANK SHORT

DEAR EDITOR, the Solomon Islands prides itself on a free press but last week MASI’s interim President Ms Deli Oso, found it necessary to condemn the threat of legal action against the Island Sun newspaper following publication of certain information relating to the Solomon Island’s national air carrier, Solomon Airlines.

Ms Oso in her letter to the media defended the right of freedom of information.

In the wider sense of freedom of information, journalist must also be reminded and guided by the 5 principles of ethical journalism.

These core principles are: Truth and Accuracy, Independence, Fairness and Impartiality, Humanity and Accountability

The core principles of ethical journalism set out above provide an excellent base for everyone who aspires to launch themselves into the public information sphere to show responsibility in how they use information

In my two books on Amazon Kindle, (‘Policing a Clash of Cultures’ and ‘Cometh the Hour’) I have recounted how the 5 principles of ethical journalism were totally disregarded by two well known Pacific journalists affecting my work as the former police commissioner during the onset of the time now regarded as the ‘tensions’ and how their vicious and racially slanted lies contributed to my premature retirement.

Nobody has the right to be wrongfully and willfully maligned and the truth, as Ms Oso reminded us of in her letter to the media on behalf of MASI, is a complete defence to any charge of defamation.

Yours sincerely

FRANK SHORT

DEAR EDITOR, last week I was contacted by a young Swiss doctor seeking an opportunity to work for a short period as a volunteer in one of Solomon Islands hospitals.

It was the third time that such a request from doctors had reached me via my website – www.solomonisandsinfocus.com and, in addition, I have had requests from qualified persons, one with specialist qualifications in the care of persons’ with disabilities, all wanting to help the local medical services caring for the sick or those with special needs.

In each case I relayed the details of the interested parties to the authorities in the MOHMS and to the representative of the Persons’ with Disabilities Association.

In all cases the approach to me was because of what I had written about the needs of the medical services in the Solomons on the blog pages of my website.

It occurs to me, however, that if a need exists in the Solomon Islands for the help of qualified volunteer doctors and specialist medical personnel on an ongoing basis, such as I understand the situation to be at the Helena Goldie Hospital, then perhaps an official notification from the MOHMS advertising short-term vacancies could be posted on my website to attract others.

Such a notice could set out the specific requirements needed by any applicants

Any enquiries from interested, qualified medical personnel could then be addressed to the MOHMS directly.

I am willing to help in whatever way I can as I believe my website provides the outside world with an opportunity to read about the Solomon Islands and to see what the country offers, including the possible chance of charitable, voluntary aid in the field of medicine, nursing and specialist care services.

Yours sincerely

FRANK SHORT

DEAR EDITOR, in an article published in the SUN newspaper in mid December last year it was claimed that SMM Solomon Ltd , as a subsidiary of Sumitomo Metal Mining Co, Ltd in Japan was donating its camp base in Isabel to Government to be converted into a hospital.

This is what the article read (quote)

“SMMS Managing Director Yoritoshi Ochi will on Tuesday sign a deal with the landowner and the Ministry of Health to seal the deal this afternoon.

“A statement from SMM Solomon Ltd yesterday in its invitation to witness the occasion said, SMM Solomon Ltd is donating its prospecting camp facilities located in Leleghia Island in Isabel province to the Ministry of Health and Medical Services to be used as a Government hospital as a part of its CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility).

“We, SMMS, SIG and land owner are going to have a signing ceremony of memorandum of understanding (MOU) at 3pm tomorrow (today) 19th December at the Ministry of the Health.”

“The Ministry of Health is expected to issue a statement during the signing.

“The mining company decides to donate this office complex and staff dormitory following its move to pull out its nickel operation on Isabel.”

From enquiries that I have made with the MOHMS in both Honiara and Isabel Province the base camp facilities have not been handed over to the medical authorities in Isabel Province, albeit the MOHMS would very much like to acquire the buildings to be converted to hospital use if the structures accord to the delineation policy guidelines of the MOHMS.

There is a growing local population in Isabel Province needing medical care and facilities such as the formed prospecting base camp, could be potentially very useful if acquired as, reportedly intended, by SMM’s Managing Director, Mr Yonitoshi Ochi.

Perhaps, it is necessary for clarification of the situation regarding the prospecting base camp to be made by the Isabel Provincial Government, or a further statement made by Sumitomo Metal Mining Company.

Yours sincerely

Frank Short