The RMI Aviation Task Force met for the first time with President Hilda Heine and members of her Cabinet last Thursday.
The ATF briefed the President on work that has been ongoing through task force discussions with various air carriers and consideration of alternative air carriers and routes.
A key concern is the high cost of airline tickets on United Airlines, the sole carrier connecting Majuro with Hawaii and Guam.
Among discussion topics:
- ATF’s request for a start up fund to support a once-a-week service to Honolulu on a second airline.
- The high cost of airfares that local residents have difficulty affording. This included concern about a lack of availability of seats on short notice bookings to get RMI citizens to Hawaii or Asia, and if booked, fares are alarmingly high and unaffordable to most local travelers.
- Improvements in north-south air connectivity for the RMI through Nauru Airlines service.
- The need to boost tourism and the job creation that would result. It was pointed out that if affordable airfares are available for visitors to come to RMI that can encourage investors locally and foreign investments to develop more accommodation and recreation activities for tourism in RMI.
- The Kiribati initiative with Nauru Airlines to connect Tarawa to Christmas Island on direct once-a-week service. This is a step on the way to connecting Christmas Island to Hawaii for tourism to and from Christmas Island and Kiribati including same day connection linking Tarawa to Hawaii.