DEAR EDITOR, the chairman of Solomon Airlines Board of Directors statement appeared in page 3 of your paper Issue 2503, on January 25 begs the question, how such a statement could be allowed to confuse your readers.

His statement, such as, “we were in intensive care unit, we could have died then,” is very strong precise and revealing.

Whether it is factual or a ploy to attract government attention for yet another funding, only the Chairman knows.

The chairman made the statement without enlightening your readers the cause of such a threatening situation, apart from the mention of safety requirement and licences.

Mr Chairman Solomon Airlines is a long established airline, where operating approvals, safety standards and system compliance and of course licence have been part of the requirements of the company’s AOC approval.

I search for a case to justify and legitimise the Chairman’s statement. In a medical term, such a statement is true for a person whose life is in a threatening situation and he is life support apparatus.

In the time Mr Chairman had taken the helm of the company and now today as I pen this column, I cannot find a case that will justify and validate the cause of airlines finding itself in an intensive care unit, as the chairman put it.

One development which would have required substantial budgetary support is the extension of the maintenance hangar.

Truly, from outside it is a marvellous work and a job well done Mr Chairman.

Before the extension project, the hangar could house two Britten Norman Islander aircraft or One Twin Otter and Britten Norman aircraft at a time.

At the end of the project, status-quo remain, and no change in aid of the type of work needed to be carried out in the hanger.

I offer the Chairman this piece of the history.

In the years during and after the social unrest on Guadalcanal, Solomon Airlines went through an experience that was beyond the capacity of the Board and management then to deal with.

Solomon Islands was declared a “NO GO ZONE’’ by governments of Australia, New Zealand, United states of American and United Kingdom while other countries maintained a high security alert advice to their citizens making plans travel to the country.

In direct response to the actions taken by these countries, passenger’s numbers on international flights fell sharply and finance took a nose dive.

The domestic service also took a heavy toll, losing one aircraft, flight interruptions as well cancellations to put it mildly.

In mitigating the situation, the board and management had to make some very painful decisions, may be not best in normal circumstances, but it was important to maintain and continue to provide international flight connections to the country.

The cost burden in supporting what we may call Airlines was in intensive care and its demise was imminent. I could not think of any other time, certainly not in your time as chairman, did the airlines have to deal with such precarious situation.

For recovery? It was an act of national pride. Management and staff took pay cut, forgone privileges and entitlements, and risk their own lives to render services to passengers on a daily basis.

Again, another painful decision and action, with determination not allow the airline to succumb to the effect of the social unrest and become another of its victim.

I could not recall government coming to assist the airline financially, not even to recognise what the airline did back then, so that the country could continue to enjoy airline services, domestic and international alike.

Mr Chairman, be serious please.

Thank you

Frank Solie

Tandai