HILARY HOSIA
The long-awaited Dornier 228 — purchased over a year ago by the RMI government from a Nepal airline — landed smoothly at the Amata Kabua International Airport Tuesday evening following a three-day-two-night journey from the Philippines.
Air Marshall Islands’ Captains Vili Lomaloma and Iosabata Namakin and engineers Ishoda Allen and Dan Fitzpatrick flew the newly added Dornier from Manila.
The crew made a quick stop at Kwajalein to pick up Transportation and Communications Minister Thomas Heine and Brenda Alik Maddison before flying into a prepared celebration at the AMI hangar, courtesy of the AMI family of spouses, friends and board members, all of whom were dressed in AMI blue.
Minister of Justice Rien Morris, speaking on behalf of Acting President David Kabua, congratulated AMI for being resilient in acquiring the Dornier, despite being pressured by the opposition. “A plane is better than no plane at all,” he said.
Good food, tasty wine, the Kabinmeto dance group and a lively band spiced up the celebration.
Read more about this in the December 4, 2015 edition of the Marshall Islands Journal.