Editing Solomon Airlines (section)

== History ==
Solomon Airlines was established in 1962 as a [[charter airline]] by Laurie Crowley. Crowley had a charter operation in [[Papua New Guinea]] with occasional charter flights to the Solomons using a single [[Piper Aztec]]. As no commercial aircraft were based in Solomon Islands, Crowley decided to start an airline and called it Megapode Airlines.{{Cn|date=May 2024}}

Papua New Guinea-based [[Macair]] purchased Megapode in 1968, and changed the airline's name to Solomon Islands Airways, with the acronym of SOLAIR, and changed the operation from a charter airline to a regular schedule. Under Macair, SOLAIR served the island of [[Bougainville Island|Bougainville]], Papua New Guinea, with two [[De Havilland Dove]]s and two [[Beechcraft Baron]]s.{{Cn|date=May 2024}}

In 1975, Macair (including its SOLAIR subsidiary) were bought by [[Dennis Buchanan]], owner of [[Talair]] in Papua New Guinea, and in 1976, the airline received two [[Beechcraft Queen Air|Beechcraft Queen Air 80]] airplanes. At the time, the Solomon Islands Government bought 49 percent of the airline's shares and with rights to purchase the remaining 51 percent by the next five years.{{Cn|date=May 2024}}

For the next five years, growth was slow but steady. A brand new [[Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner]] was bought, and services were established to [[Vanuatu]].{{Cn|date=May 2024}}

In 1984 the Government decided to purchase all of the airline's remaining shares, and two [[De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter]]s and one [[Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante]] were leased from Talair. Soon after full Government take-over, the three leased planes were returned. In 1987, the sale of the airline and its assets Pacific Car Rental (a subsidiary of [[Avis Rent A Car System|Avis]]) and the tour company Hunts of the Pacific, were completed.{{Cn|date=May 2024}}

The new ownership was met with skepticism and distrust by airline workers, and many trained personnel left the company, including some on the managerial level. The government was faced with the task of rebuilding the airline, and it started doing so by investing 2 million dollars to buy two DHC-6-300 Twin Otters. Soon, a new livery was introduced, and the name was changed to "Solomon Airlines" officially.{{Cn|date=May 2024}}

[[File:Solomon Airlines Airbus A320-211 at Honiara Airport in 2012.JPG|thumb|right|Solomon Airlines [[Airbus A320 family|Airbus A320-211]] at [[Honiara International Airport]] in 2012]]

A joint venture with [[Qantas]] followed, and then Solomon Airlines entered the jet age by leasing a [[Boeing 737]] from [[Fiji Airways|Air Pacific]]. Solomon Airlines and Air Pacific soon also made a joint venture, but when Air Pacific announced in 1989 it was planning to substitute its Boeing 737 with a [[Boeing 767]] to upgrade international services, Solomon Airlines was forced to lease one from another company, and so it decided on leasing a 737 owned by [[International Lease Finance Corporation]]. Since then, the airline has operated with leased 737s alongside its own turbo-props.{{Cn|date=May 2024}}

In 1999, after ethnic violence broke out in the Solomons, the [[United Nations]] imposed sanctions which severely damaged the airline's international operations, and at one point, the airline was forced to retain only is scheduled services to [[Brisbane]]. Since the end of the conflict, the airline has reestablished its international network.{{Cn|date=May 2024}}

In November 2006, Solomon Airlines obtained a Boeing B737-300 aircraft including pilots and cabin crew, leased by the Spanish [[AirClass Airways]].{{Cn|date=May 2024}}

For the months of January and February 2009, Solomon Airlines leased a De Havilland Canada Dash 8 seating 40, from [[Vincent Aviation]] of [[Wellington]], [[New Zealand]] while one of its Twin Otter aircraft was undergoing heavy maintenance at Honiara.{{Cn|date=May 2024}}

In August 2009, Solomon Airlines obtained an Airbus A320-200 aircraft including pilots, leased by [[Strategic Airlines]].<ref>[http://solomonstarnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8886&change=71&changeown=84&Itemid=26 "Airline to get new aircraft in August"], ''[[Solomon Star]]'', May 7, 2009</ref> When the lease with Strategic Airlines expired Solomon Airlines acquired an Airbus A320-211 and obtained its own Air Operators Certificate.{{Cn|date=May 2024}}

On 7 June 2016 Solomon Airlines suspended all operations, including international and domestic flights and ground operations, stranding passengers at Honiara.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/solomon-islands|title=Solomon Islands travel advice - GOVUK|website=www.gov.uk|access-date=2016-06-07}}</ref> The airline's CEO, Ron Sum Sum, said that the grounding was caused by the government's failure to pay millions of dollars in arrears.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/46879-solomon-airlines-suspends-operations|title=Solomon Airlines suspends operations|website=ch-aviation|language=en-US|access-date=2016-06-07}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/pacific/305767/solomons-aviation-ministry-hopes-to-end-shutdown|title=Solomons aviation ministry hopes to end shutdown|date=2016-06-06|website=Radio New Zealand|access-date=2016-06-07}}</ref> The airline resumed operations two days later.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/46889-solomon-airlines-resumes-ops-as-honiara-takes-aim-at-ceo|title=Solomon Airlines resumes ops as Honiara takes aim at CEO |date=2016-06-06|website=CH-Aviation|access-date=2016-07-22}}</ref>

On 12 May 2023, CEO Gus Kraus confirmed that the airline was looking to acquire a second A320-200 to expand services and cater to an expected increase in demand from the [[2023 Pacific Games]] to be held in [[Honiara]] later in the year.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-13 |title=Solomon Airlines to Get Second Aircraft, Ex-Jetstar |publisher=[[Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation]] |url=https://www.sibconline.com.sb/solomon-airlines-to-get-second-aircraft-ex-jetstar/ |access-date=2023-05-14 |language=en-US}}</ref>

On 22 May 2024, Solomon Airlines began launching weekly direct flights between [[Auckland]], [[New Zealand]] and [[Port Villa]], [[Vanuatu]] to fill the gap caused by the bankruptcy of Vanuatuan national carrier, [[Air Vanuatu]]. New Zealand has several Vanuatuan RSE (Recognised Seasonal Employer) workers who were stranded because of Air Vanuatu's liquidation.<ref>{{cite news |title=Solomon Airlines runs flights between New Zealand and Vanuatu |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/517525/solomon-airlines-runs-flights-between-new-zealand-and-vanuatu |access-date=23 May 2024 |work=[[RNZ]] |date=22 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240522053630/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/517525/solomon-airlines-runs-flights-between-new-zealand-and-vanuatu |archive-date=22 May 2024}}</ref>