Airlines and regulators in the Pacific will be embarking on a strategy, that involves greater collaboration, to maintain air connectivity across the region and meet international safety, security and compliance standards.

“Our vision is we are stronger collaborating together, especially in the context of safety and security, regulatory oversight and international compliance,” states the 10-Year Pacific Regional Aviation Strategy plan that was launched by Pacific aviation ministers at the ICAO 41st Assembly in Montreal.

“The critical challenges facing aviation globally are recognised in the strategy, which seeks to deliver a safe, secure air transport system, protect the environment, and support sustainable economic development of Pacific states,” it says.

“Specifically, the strategy tackles the priorities of regional cooperation and engagement, aviation capability development, sustainable economic development, pandemic recovery and resilience, environmental protection, aviation safety and security, and harmonised regulatory systems.”

The Pacific Island states represented by the strategy includes: Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Tonga, and Vanuatu, it adds.

Editor’s comments: While collaborating with regards to matters of safety, security and compliance is the focus of the strategy; it also makes sense for smaller Pacific island carriers to cooperate on network planning to develop air services across the Pacific. Some Pacific island carriers have no aircraft for international passenger operations or only one or two at most. It makes sense for Pacific island carriers to do more interline and codeshare agreements, so rather than compete against one another, they coordinate their efforts and collaborate more. In many instances, air routes in the Pacific have too little passenger traffic to warrant having two airlines competing on the same route.

Feature picture, from oceanservice.noaa.gov , shows the vastness of the Pacific ocean.