25 Apr 2008

Air Marshalls says full service two months away

5:48 pm on 25 April 2008

The general manger of Air Marshall Islands says it will be at least two months before full operations can be resumed despite using its 34-seat Dash-8 plane for the first time in more than six months.

Air Marshall Islands' two aeroplanes were grounded last October because of mechanical faults, causing more than a million US dollars in losses for the business.

The carrier's general manager, Dan Fitzpatrick, says it is in the process of fixing its other aircraft, a 19-seat German-made Dornier 228.

"We want to take the opportunity to overhaul the landing gears and do some modifications and upgrades to make the aircraft more fuel efficient, including a change to five plated composite propellers that's said to reduce fuel consumption by thirty percent."

Dan Fitzpatrick says the business is now weighing up the options of purchasing another Dornier plane.