19 Dec 2005

Nauru using charter flight to pick up stranded travellers after its jet was seized by creditors

7:16 pm on 19 December 2005

The Melbourne based chief executive of Air Nauru, Geoff Bowmaker, says the airline has organised a charter flight and is also relying on code share partners to help passengers stranded after their only jet was seized by creditors yesterday.

A Melbourne High Court decision on Friday allowed the United State's Ex-Im Bank to claim ownership of the jet after the government owned airline had failed to make loan repayments.

The Nauru Government has been facing an economic crisis and last month called on aid donors to help rescue its economy and critical services such as health and education.

The Nauru plane has been the only one servicing several routes in the central Pacific and passengers have been left stranded in Kiribati, Solomon Islands, the Marshall Islands, Fiji and Australia.

Mr Bowmaker says stakeholders are now considering options for the airline's long term future.