MEDIA RELEASE
08 June 2009
At a brief ceremony yesterday (today); held in Solomon Airlines’ Engineering and Maintenance hangar at Henderson airport, Civil Aviation of Solomon Islands and PASO (Pacific Aviation & Security Organisation) presented the CEO of Solomon Airlines (the Accountable person); Captain Ron Sumsum; with the VERY FIRST Approved Maintenance Organisation Part 145 Certificate. (AMO Part 145) ever issued in Solomon Islands.
This is an historic occasion for the National Carrier as it strives to achieve a better and more accountable system of Maintenance Organisation not otherwise seen before in Solomon Islands.
Fittingly; PASO; under the guidance of Max Foon; a veteran CAA Airworthiness Inspector & Maintenance man and also a qualified Engineer himself based in Port Vila; has been reviewing the National Carriers’ manuals and system of Maintenance to meet the new Solomon Islands Civil Aviation Act 2008 governed by the newly applied New Zealand Rules and Regulations recently enacted by the Parliament of Solomon Islands.
George Satu, the Chief Flight Standards Officer of CAASI indicated that he was happy with the progress made by Solomon Airlines and congratulated the Maintenance Manager; Trevor Palmer and his Quality Assurance Manager; John Ross; and all the Maintenance Team at the hangar on their achievement of the Part 145 organisation approval and Certification process.
Max Foon from PASO indicated “both CAASI and PASO are proud of this little organisation in Honiara who have taken on board the mandatory change processes and have adapted themselves to moving this change forward into a new era of compliance and certification processes which now takes into account the new rules which have already been adopted in Vanuatu and PNG for some years now.”
George Satu further indicated that in addition to this milestone achievement; CAASI have also passed to Solomon Airlines its AOC (Air Operators Certificate) which is valid to December 2009 or until further reviews are completed by CAA of the airlines’ system to ensure compliance with the new Rules and Regulations now in existence and in transition from the old UK based system used in SI for many years prior. This AOC is the operating licence for Solomon Airlines to maintain operations in its Domestic network.
Both the above certification processes are valid until December 2009 at which time CAASI and PASO will undergo the final certification processes which will validate Solomon Airlines for several years instead of the interim certification now underway in the transition from the old rules and regulations to the newly enacted legislation now in force.
Solomon Airlines’ CEO Captain Sumsum paid special tribute to the good working relationship between the National Carrier and CAASI together with Paso and congratulated his team of Engineers and Maintenance personnel on a job well done.
‘In fact’; Captain Sumsum further implied; “the approval under Part 145 virtually means that the role of the AMO is now very defined and under this certification process; the Maintenance Organisation can now bid for and operate as a stand-alone Maintenance organisation applying for outside work and enjoying the fruits of operating a separate business within the company governed by the approvals it has rightfully gained as of this date”.
He further indicated “the job is not completed yet and we still have room for improvement.
The airline, including the Flight Operations department, still requires to meet the next set of deadlines which will ensure achieving its other Certification under the said new Rules and Regulations.
This will in turn eventually comply with Parts: 12, 19, 61, 91, 92, 108, 119, 121, 125, 135 and 139 certification.” He added.
In attendance at the small ceremony was the Minister of Tourism & Aviation as well as his new Permanent Secretary; Jeffrey Wickham; together with the Director of Civil Aviation; Mr Ben Kere and other airline Managers & employees.
