Aviation History
Air transport in the Solomon Islands began in 1962 with the charter operator Megapode Airlines, which became Solomon Islands Airways (SOLAIR) in 1968 and passed into government ownership through the 1970s-80s, eventually rebranding as Solomon Airlines. Given the country's scattered archipelago geography, Solomon Airlines' extensive domestic network remains a critical lifeline, alongside a small but growing set of international routes to Australia and the Pacific.
Laurie Crowley established Megapode Airlines as a charter operator, the earliest predecessor of today's Solomon Airlines.
Under new ownership the carrier was renamed Solomon Islands Airways and converted to scheduled service.
The Solomon Islands government took a significant ownership stake in the national carrier, later acquiring it fully in 1984.
Civil unrest and related restrictions severely curtailed Solomon Airlines' operations during the country's ethnic tension crisis.
Solomon Airlines acquired an Airbus A320-200 and obtained an independent Air Operator's Certificate, modernizing its international operations.
Solomon Airlines began weekly Auckland–Port Vila service, filling part of the gap left by the 2024 bankruptcy of Air Vanuatu.
Solomon Airlines
Wikipedia, Solomon Airlines corporate history, Civil Aviation Authority of Solomon Islands
Aviation Firsts
Honiara International Airport — Honiara (1942): Temmuz 1942'de Japon kuvvetleri tarafından (RXI olarak adlandırılarak) inşaatına başlandı; 7 Ağustos 1942'de ABD Deniz Piyadeleri tarafından neredeyse tamamlanmış halde ele geçirildi ve Henderson Field olarak yeniden adlandırıldı — II. Dünya Savaşı'nın belirleyici Guadalcanal muharebesi hava alanı. Savaştan sonra terk edildi, sonra modernize edilerek 1969'da sivil Honiara Uluslararası Havalimanı olarak yeniden açıldı; bugün de aynı alanda faaliyette. · Wikipedia ↗
Solomon Airlines (1962): 1962'de Laurie Crowley tarafından 'Megapode Airlines' adıyla bir charter operasyonu olarak kuruldu; 1968'de Macair yönetiminde 'Solomon Islands Airways' (SOLAIR) adıyla tarifeli taşıyıcı oldu, sonra Solomon Airlines olarak yeniden adlandırıldı. 2022'de 60. kuruluş yıl dönümünü kutladı (1962 kuruluş yılını doğrulayan), bugün hâlâ yurt içi ve bölgesel uluslararası hatlarda faaliyette. · Wikipedia ↗
No documented foreign entrant found. Swissport's Honiara page is again framed as "Swissport Executive Aviation" (charter/wide-body trip support, no date, no scheduled-handling scope confirmed), excluded per rule. Honiara International Airport's Wikipedia page and Solomon Airlines' own postings name no foreign ground handling company for scheduled/mainline operations.