Airline to return to Guam, plus aviation and contracting news
A variety of news briefs includes updates from the aviation, tourism and military construction market sectors.
Airline to return to Guam
Starlux Airlines will return to Guam after its plans were derailed by Typhoon Mawar in May 2023.
Photo courtesy of Starlux Airlines.
In partnership with Lion Travel Group, and flying a 188-seat Airbus A321neo, Starlux’s charter will arrive on Jan. 30 with the return flight to Taoyuan International Airport set to depart on Feb. 3.
Starlux and Lion Travel originally planned five-day charters from April last year, with Lion Travel also planning to open an office at the Hyatt Regency Guam but ceased flights after Typhoon Mawar.
Lion Travel was responsible for bringing charter flights from Taiwan to Guam for GVB’s Air V&V program in 2021.
The Guam Visitors Bureau is taking to the road again in January and February. GVB and members will attend the One Guam Road Show 2025 from Jan. 28 to Jan. 30 in Osaka, Nagoya, and Tokyo, also hosting a New Year Appreciation Industry Mixer in Tokyo.
On Feb. 1 and Feb. 2 GVB will lead a group to the 57th International Education & Career Fair in Seoul. GVB will take one table at the International Education Fair in the city on March 8 and March 9.
GVB announced in October 18 overseas promotional trips were planned for fiscal 2025.
Palau recorded 4,365 visitors in October, marking a 6% increase from the previous month, and a 34% increase compared to October 2023. Among the visitors, China remained the leading source of arrivals, accounting for 36% of the total. This was followed by Taiwan with 19%, and USA/Canada, which collectively represented 18%.
Airline issues response to OSHA ruling
Asia Pacific Airlines issued a statement Dec. 12 on findings by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, as stated in its release earlier that date that the airline had penalized a whistleblower.
“Asia Pacific Airlines strongly disagrees with these findings which inexplicably ignore significant evidence including sworn statements of material witnesses,” the airline said. “At the time of the foregoing incident the pilot was in command of a Boeing 757 aircraft. He prematurely powered up the aircraft’s engines and began taxiing the aircraft while ground crew were still in dangerously close proximity to the aircraft. On August 15, 2023, the pilot admitted under oath that this incident could have resulted in serious bodily injury to the ground crew.”
The incident was witnessed by a Federal Aviation Administration safety director, who expressed serious safety concerns to Asia Pacific Airlines regarding the pilot’s reckless actions. Moreover, ground crew personnel described this incident as being extremely dangerous,” Asia Pacific Airlines said.
“The pilot applied for unemployment benefits with the State of Hawaii. On February 22, 2022, the State of Hawaii issued a decision denying unemployment benefits finding that the pilot had violated company policies, that the pilot confirmed that he was “accountable for this potential fatal error” and that he “was negligent to such a degree to show misconduct. “The U.S. Department of Labor elected to ignore these findings. The U.S. Department of Labor also ignored sworn testimony which seriously undermined the pilot’s credibility.
“Asia Pacific Airlines will formally file objections to the Secretary’s Findings and request a hearing before an administrative law judge,” the airline said.
Modification to contract for islands and Louisiana issued
Aptim Federal Services LLC of Baton Rouge, La., was awarded an $11.52 million modification to an existing contract for maintenance and minor repair of petroleum systems. Work will be performed in Guam, Wake Island and Baton Rouge, La.; with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2025, according to a Dec. 13 release CHamoru Standard Time.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville, Ala. made the award. mbj
