New Micronesian airline eyes Nauru Airlines partnership

By Andrew Curran.

The Federated States of Micronesia may get a home-grown airline if plans for start-up carrier One Pacific Airways get off the drawing board.

The airline, which can be traced back to a Taiwanese national named Chih Yuan Wang, wants to operate inter-island services around Micronesia and neighbouring countries to address what it calls "critical gaps in inter-island travel".

A tentative route map published on One Pacific's website indicates plans to fly to nine airports around the region, from Koror (ROR) in the west to Tarawa (TRW) in the east and south to Honiara (HIR).

Last week, One Pacific held discussions with Nauru Airlines in Singapore about commercial and operational opportunities. One Pacific's planned network overlaps with much of Nauru Airlines' former and current network.

"Our mission is to connect the islands of Micronesia through safe, reliable, and affordable air travel, fostering regional unity and sustainable tourism," One Pacific's website reads.

Micronesia contains around 600 islands, of which approximately 10% are inhabited. Aero South Pacific's Micronesia Country Brief notes that there is no local scheduled airline and, following the recent ending of Nauru Airlines flights to Micronesia, the only foreign operator flying into the country is United Airlines.

United flies to Micronesia's three main airports – Pohnpei (PNI), Chuuk (TKK) and Kosrae (KSA).

One Pacific Airways founder sees opportunities to work with Nauru Airlines

The company behind One Pacific Airways is a Hong Kong-registered entity called South Pacific Airways Ltd.

An August 14 press release issued by the Naoero Government names Chih Yuan Wang as the founder and president of One Pacific Airways.

"We see opportunities for the two airlines to work together in a practical and commercially focused way," Wang said about the talks with Nauru Airlines.

Aero South Pacific has approached One Pacific Airways for further details on its start-up plans.

Wang has substantial interests in the seafood industry, with businesses in the United States, Taiwan and elsewhere. One Wang-controlled entity, Da Yang Enterprises, has a multimillion-dollar commercial presence in Kosrae and, according to the Pohnpei State Public Information Office, is "backing" One Pacific Airways.

One Pacific's fleet, according to its website, will include Embraer 145LRs and Cessna 337 Super Skymasters, although there is no evidence of any advanced plans to acquire either type.

A Pohnpei State Public Information Office social media post, now 12 months old, mentions Cessna 337s and Dash 8s – both types capable of handling many of the shorter runways in the region.

"Beyond passenger transport, the airline aims to support cargo services, tourism growth, and job creation, while also providing essential search and rescue, maritime surveillance, and medical evacuation capabilities for island communities," the Information Office says.

Further announcements as talks progress

One possible outcome of the talks between Nauru Airlines and One Pacific Airways is that Nauru Airlines aircraft could operate some flights for One Pacific.

Nauru Airlines has four passenger-configured aircraft, including two B737-300s, one B737-700 and one B737-800.

However, both airlines say discussions remain focused on exploring opportunities and developing a potential framework for cooperation, with specific commercial commitments to be announced as they arise.

They also note that any future arrangements will be subject to further commercial negotiations and regulatory and government approvals.

Photo: AI-Generated.
Contact the writer: andrew@aerosouthpacific.com