Solomon Airlines to cease flying to Lomlom

• Lomlom flights ‘regrettably suspended‘ from 10 November 2021

Solomon Airlines has confirmed the airline will cancel services to and from Lomlom from 10 November due to pressure from the local landowners.

The following flights will be cancelled and regular services to Lomlom will be suspended.

• Flight IE394 Honiara-Lomlom (via Santa Cruz) 1100-1430
• Flight IE395 Lomlom-Honiara 1450-1740

The cancellation will take effect immediately for departures through to 10 December 2021, with future dates subject to review pending any further developments.

The flights from Honiara to Santa Cruz to Honiara will continue using our Twin Otters until such time as the Santa Cruz runway has been repaired and is able to accommodate the Dash 8.

Solomon Airlines CEO Mr Brett Gebers said the decision was regrettable but unavoidable as the landowners have refused permission for any flights to use the airport from 10 November 2021.

“We cannot continue to accommodate disruptions to our operations that are caused by issues between landowners and Government ministries,” he said.

“As an airline trying to maintain a scheduled service, we are already subject to the impact of bad weather, often waterlogged runways and other unforeseen events that can disrupt our services.”

“It is important to understand that disruptions cost our airline a lot of money and every time there is a dispute raised by landowners, we, the airline end up bearing the cost.

“We find ourselves stuck in the middle, and have no choice but to take the decision to cancel our services to and from Lomlom to satisfy the local landowners while they work out their issues with the Government”.

“The ultimate casualty of these situations is our passengers who require certainty for their travel which has now been disrupted, and the travelling public who no longer have an air service available to their nearest airport,” he said.