Kiribati’s national flag carrier the Jet Embraer E190-E2 is under a 3yrs leasing agreement with Pionair Australia.
The aircraft will be operated under the 3yrs leasing agreement between Pionair Australia and the Government of Kiribati.
The Embraer can fly to Kiribati from time to time if required. The internal and direct flights between Tarawa and Kiritimati can commence when the upgrading work at the Canton runway is completed as the alternate emergency and stopover airport.
This is an EDTO requirement for the aircraft before it is approved to operate within the distances between Tarawa and Kiritimati Island.
The upgrading of the Canton runway is paramount in this Jet and Infrastructure project as it will provide more reliable air service connectivity to this remote island station, provide the alternative stopover or emergency for any aircrafts using air space over the Line and Phoenix Island Group, and a provisional airfield for the Jet Embraer E190-E2.
The runway feasibility study on Canton that was conducted by engineers from the Government of the People’s Republic of China in March this year was done after a long delay planning when COVID-19 struck at the end of 2019 until borders opened in 2022.
The results of the feasibility study will fast-track a project to rehabilitate the runway to make it operational and meet requirements as an alternate airport.
The second Jet Embraer E190-E2 is in a production line in Brazil and will soon be delivered upon completion.
