Авиакомпания Air Kiribati: История и развитие

Flag carrier of Kiribati

Air Kiribati (pronounced Air ,/k//ɪr//ᵻ/'/b//æ//s/) is the flag carrier of the Republic of Kiribati and operates scheduled passenger services to 20 atolls spread over an area of
It is headquartered at Bonriki International Airport on the island of Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands.

Air Kiribati was first established as Air Tungaru in 1977. The airline served all 16 domestic airports in Kiribati as well as Honolulu and Papeete with a Boeing 727. In 1996 Air Tungaru ceased operations and Air Kiribati was established to mainly service domestic points in Kiribati with a slew of smaller regional airliners. In 2002 the airlines first ATR 72–500 enters service, but is retired in 2004. In 2016, Air Kiribati commenced also domestic operations in the Line Islands, servicing from Kiritimati both Washington and Fanning islands. In 2017 Air Kiribati's first De Havilland Canada Dash 8 106 is delivered and in 2019 the first of two Embraer E190 E2s delivered to Air Kiribati.

Air Kiribati is governed by a board which directly reports to Tekeeua Tarati, the Minister for Information, Communication, Transport and Tourism Development (MICTTD). Air Kiribati is 100% owned by the Government of Kiribati.

On 31 July Kobebe Taitai was appointed as acting CEO. In February 2020 Captain Philip Statham became CEO after Tarataake Teannaki moved to become Secretary for Information, Communications, Transport and Tourism Development. Air Kiribati is looking for a new CEO, after position vacant, since August 2021. The position is now only open to Kiribati nationals.

In December 2019, the first Embraer E190 E2, in Air Kiribati livery, was delivered to the airline. The E190 E2 has been certified and registered to the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) since the beginning of 2020. The Embraer E190 E2 has a maximum range of It retains cockpit commonality with its predecessor E190. E190 pilots will only require a 2.5 days transition training with no flight simulator time needed to be able to fly the E190 E2. Air Kiribati acting CEO Danial Rochford previously pointed out that "the type's increased range deemed it a "perfect choice" for the carrier." Acting CEO Danial Rochford says that the E190 E2 will offer “opportunities to fly from Australia and New Zealand direct to Kiribati”. The E190 E2 is able to operate every required route in the Air Kiribati network when it receives ETOPS 120 minutes certification and also allow the airline to operate longer haul domestic and international routes including connections that had so far been beyond the reach of its current fleet of turboprops. The Kiribati Transport Minister stated: "non stop operations between the capital Tarawa and Kiritmati (Christmas) island [sic] currently requires an international stop in Fiji. With a range of 2,850 nautical miles, the E190 E2 can operate throughout the country with non stop routes." However, the first of 2 Embraer E190 E2's wasn't taken up and never entered passenger service, eventually ended up with the operator, Pionair Australia.

In December 2007, the Kiribati Government approved a request by Air Kiribati to purchase two Canadian made Twin Otter aircraft. Each plane is reported to cost US$3.3 million, but Air Kiribati's previous CEO Baraniko Baaro reports the purchase is a wise move which will save money currently used for the frequent repairs the aging air fleet requires. In addition, the new planes boast higher fuel efficiency, have room for more passengers and cargo and require less runway length than the current fleet, which may be of benefit on the airstrips of Kiribati's outer islands.