Improving Airline Services - A National Priority

PRESS STATEMENT FROM AIR VANUATU BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The new Board of Directors for the Government Owned Airline Air Vanuatu, assures the public that improving the airline services for Vanuatu, both domestically and internationally, is a national priority.

The new board has met regularly with the airline management since their appointment on the 12^th of December. Meetings have focused on gaining a good understanding of what is required to quickly achieve the necessary service improvements and stabilize operations. Statements from the new Chairman Mr Willie Daniel, already shared with the press in late December, included several priority action items that the board have identified and agreed on.

One of the first actions made by the board, has been to replace the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr Atu Finau with the temporary appointment of Mr Joseph Laloyer. Mr Laloyer had previously held the CEO role for Air Vanuatu from 2010 to 2018 and in 2020. Mr Laloyer has accepted the role of temporary acting CEO effective of 30 December 2022.

While in this role, Mr Laloyer will support the board to recruit a permanent CEO, will continue to focus on maintaining the safety standards and professional operation of the airline, and will work with the existing management team to implement the strategic plans of the organisation. The strategic plan will not only focuses on additional aircraft capacity but also includes investing in the staff to ensure the airline achieves international service standards.  Supported by the Acting  new temporary CEO, the airline will address a host of challenges that are affecting all airlines globally, including; a surge in costs - for example increase in fuel price, hiring challenges affecting all airlines post COVID-19, debt management, acquiring appropriate aircraft quickly and at the right costs, meeting the growing demand for short haul travel, and ensuring the airline doesn’t repeat costly operational meltdowns of late 2022.

The board will work closely with the management team and Mr Laloyer to ensure that the right plan is quickly ratified by the Vanuatu Government who are the sole owners of the airline. Some of the decisions that will need to be promptly made will include the financing of additional aircraft being added to the fleet, appropriate debt and creditor management and strengthening the management team to improve service levels.

The board supports the management team in their ongoing service delivery and thanks the staff for their dedication in these challenging times.