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Aviation History
1991
1991 - 0198.PDF
Growing tourism is driving the expansion of Pacific regional airlines which nevertheless face unique constraints on their operations, reports Paul Phelan. International aspirations are stirring in several small South-west Pacific air lines as tourism growth begins to follow projected trends. The Pacific Area Travel Association cites growth in regional income, downward pres sure on air fares and increasing intra- regional holiday travel among the factors that will boost air travel to above-world- average figures, with growth to 72 million arrivals in the region by the year 2000. Growth potential exists at international and regional level but is subject to well- recognised constraints. In the international arena, these con straints include a low population base and the difficulties of blending an essential service with viable tourist schedules, often with a fleet of only one or two aircraft. Island airlines lack the economy of scale possible for mega-carriers, have no direct access to mass tourism markets and achieve low aircraft utilisation. Despite these shared problems, no serious attempt has been made to form an airline consortium be tween island nations. At regional level — operational handicaps notwithstanding — several airlines are eval uating new aircraft types or have placed orders. Regional island operating environ ments typically include unsealed, crushed- coral airstrips surrounded by tall coconut palms. Aircraft choice is ruled by the demands of take-off performance, rugged- ness and reliability. Twin Otters and Island ers dominate inter-island services, with Dornier's 228 carving a niche, and ATR42s the predominant heavy turboprops. At the level below trunk operations by the likes of Air New Zealand and Qantas are airlines such as Air Pacific and Air Nuigim, domestic carriers which have recently grown to establish regional and interna tional networks. Most Pacific carriers have their origins as long-standing domestic and third-level air lines, but international operations are high on some of their agendas. At trunk level the region is comprehen- PACIFIC AMBITIONS sively served by Qantas, Air New Zealand, Air France, Continental, UTA and others with strong and growing regional networks. There is also increasing interest from Asian carriers where the local climate is favoura ble for tourism growth. PIVOTAL SERVICES Sound and reliable local air services are pivotal to tourism infrastructure, many hol iday destinations, island or otherwise, being accessible only by air. Where a favourable climate exists local airlines are already competing with overlapping services. All are active in the promotion of inbound tourism, with increasing emphasis on the expanding Asian and European markets. Typically, where the market is growing, island airlines carry both local passengers (where growth is static) as well as interna tional visitors. Tourists account for 65% of passengers flying on Fiji's Sunflower Air lines. Polynesian quotes 75%. Services at local level are, in most cases, limited by operational aspects such as available airfields — a constraint which is likely to remain because of limiting physical factors. The effect is that local-service fleet upgrading is likely to take the form of "more of the same". Operators report product support as their most critical operational problem, height ened by the need to use older but opera tionally irreplaceable types, long supply lines, poor communications and small fleets demanding a higher-than-average spares holding — another reason for the preva lence of basic aircraft such as Twin Otters and Islanders. Friendly Island Airways says supply lines will be improved when it operates its own international services, and Air Nuigini confirms that its expanded international network has largely solved supply problems. In other areas diversity of task, availabil ity of capital and operational factors lead to multi-type fleets, commonly with small numbers of each aircraft type. 32 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 23 - 29 January, 1991
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