The chief executive officer of Air Kiribati, Baraniko Baaro, says he hopes to launch an international service next month.
Mr Baaro, who's just been appointed to the top position in the government-owned airline, says there are plans to fly twice a week to Fiji and perhaps once a week to the Marshall Islands and Nauru.
The delay in Air Kiribati setting up the international service led to a motion of no confidence in the government this week which it survived.
Mr Baaro says they're waiting for a civil aviation official from Fiji to arrive to certify the leased ATR jet.
"At the moment we're trying to resolve the civil aviation matters and maybe it's hard to be optmistic. Towards the end of this month, we're trying very hard to ensure that the ATR can fly before the end of the month or if not early next month"
Baraniko Baaro says Kiribati needs an international service because the country is currently reliant on Air Nauru.
