Air Niugini re-establishes office in Honiara

Caption:  (L) Apisolom Kaili shaking hands with Air Niugini CEO Simon Foo, with General Manager Commercial Dominic Kaumu.

By MATTHEW VARI

Wednesday, June 4, 2014 (Midweek Chronicle, PNG)

WITH the strong growth experienced in the economy over the last couple of years, the national flag carrier Air Niugini will re-open its office in the Solomon Islands capital Honiara on June 2 next month.

The re-opened office, located on the second floor of Antony Saru building, in Honiara, marks about 10 years since it was last closed, and it will serve not only the Solomon Islands but Port Vila in Vanuatu and Nadi in Fiji also.

Air Niugini CEO Simon Foo, said that it is important for Air Niugini as a regional airline to establish an office to look after interests of customers in the Melanesian Region.

“It signals the strong growth that has occurred both here and in the region for us to expand our market and further strengthen our presence in the Pacific,” Foo said.

“The office we had closed was operated by a General Sales Agent (GSA) and this occurred because the office was not economically viable 10 years ago when the economy was not doing well.”

“This year the economy has been slower, however, the decision had already been made to reopen the Honiara office, and we are committed to honour it.”

He said that other offices that the airline operates in are in Cains, Brisbane, and Sydney in Australia all manned by nationals.

During the announcement of the Honiara office- the CEO also announced the appointment of Apisolom Kaili as the head of the reopened facility.

Mr Kaili, who hails from East New Britain, is one of the first young national executive managers to take up the opportunity.

He will be posted in the island nation to manage the airline’s office and business interests in the region.

Mr Foo in congratulating Kaili on his appointment to the post reminded him that it was a good test to train the young executive in an international role that would groom him for roles back in the country.

An appreciative Kaili thanked the management for their faith in him, saying that the experience would help him to sharpen his skill in an international environment.

“I would like to thank the management and board for their goal in adding value to nationals for experience abroad- something many companies should undertake to upskill the human resource in the country,” Kaili said.

Apisolom’s tenure in Honiara will be for two years, with a rotations of other young executives set to take posting at there and other offices around the region to broaden their experience in different international markets.