Joint Air Services Taskforce Makes Recommendations on Air and Shipping Services
PRESS STATEMENT
24th July 2007
JOINT AIR SERVICES TASKFORCE MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS ON AIR AND SHIPPING SERVICES
The Joint Air Services Taskforce has agreed to recommend to the Leaders of the Forum Small Island States (SIS) the commitment to a collaborative sub-regional approach to air services in the region.
This was among recommendations made at the meeting of the Taskforce held 19-20 July in Nadi, Fiji. Representatives from Kiribati, Nauru, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, Federated States of Micronesia and Solomon Islands attended the meeting.
Members of the Taskforce agreed to recommend, taking into account existing assets/infrastructure in the region, to SIS Leaders to pursue a sub-regional collective approach towards securing air services for countries on the premise of "air service provision benefits a nation more than a nation running an airline"
This followed the consideration of the report entitled "Proposed Joint Venture Air Services: Analysis of Socio-economic Impacts"
They also agreed to recommend the following:
(Ends)
For more information, please contact, Ms Patricia Sachs-Cornish, the Forum’s Development Cooperation Adviser, on phone (679) 331 2600 or email
24th July 2007
JOINT AIR SERVICES TASKFORCE MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS ON AIR AND SHIPPING SERVICES
The Joint Air Services Taskforce has agreed to recommend to the Leaders of the Forum Small Island States (SIS) the commitment to a collaborative sub-regional approach to air services in the region.
This was among recommendations made at the meeting of the Taskforce held 19-20 July in Nadi, Fiji. Representatives from Kiribati, Nauru, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, Federated States of Micronesia and Solomon Islands attended the meeting.
Members of the Taskforce agreed to recommend, taking into account existing assets/infrastructure in the region, to SIS Leaders to pursue a sub-regional collective approach towards securing air services for countries on the premise of "air service provision benefits a nation more than a nation running an airline"
This followed the consideration of the report entitled "Proposed Joint Venture Air Services: Analysis of Socio-economic Impacts"
They also agreed to recommend the following:
- Encourage the collection of data on national air service requirements, demand, passenger and freight loads; and audit of existing national airline and related assets;
- Explore options that would result in air services meeting demand, whilst ideally maximizing efficiency of existing national assets; and
- Assessment of options should highlight the cost and benefits of each and compare them as well as identify all related issues pertaining to air service rights, bilateral and multilateral agreements.
- During the meeting, the Taskforce also reviewed the report on the SIS Feeder Shipping Service and agreed to recommend to Leaders to pursue several options at the same time including:
- The supply of a purpose-built ship with funding possibly by a donor partner as a long term one;
- Utilising existing tonnage on existing vessels belonging to two island members, could be in place quickly to meet the urgent need; and
- A regional shipping service agreement, modelled on the Micronesian Shipping Commission, was seen as beneficial with additional analysis to be carried out.
(Ends)
For more information, please contact, Ms Patricia Sachs-Cornish, the Forum’s Development Cooperation Adviser, on phone (679) 331 2600 or email
