MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Falklands Governor voices concern over Aerolineas airlink proposal.
The Falklands Governor Howard Pearce has publicly spoken out with respect to the recently announced proposal by Aerolineas Argentinas to seek approval for two weekly flights to the Falklands from Buenos Aires.
Mr. Pearce, a British Foreign Office diplomat, who has a three years appointment as the Islands Governor, was speaking on the BBC World Service programme, 'Calling the Falklands'. Asked to express his thoughts on the Aerolineas application to inaugurate the 'Malvinas' service, he said, 'I think the view in the Falkland Islands, given past history and particularly the history of the 1970's, is that it would not be appropriate at this point to establish direct and regular commercial airline links with Argentina. We have links through Chile which actually works extremely well, and I think as things stand, people in the Islands feel much more comfortable with that link'. The Governor's words supported those of Councillor Mike Summers who firmly stated last week that, 'No Councillor here will agree to Aerolineas flying to the Islands and nor will the public ......'
Aerolineas announced that it had, on April 2, formally applied to the Civil Aviation Authority, for permission to commence a twice weekly service from Buenos Aires to the Islands via Rio Gallegos.
During the 1970's the Argentine state airline Lineas Areas Del Estado (LADE) operated a weekly service to the Islands from Buenos Aires, via the southern city of Comodoro Rivadavia. The Islands were increasingly dependant on Argentina for fuel and fresh produce supplies, while patients received treatment at the British Hospital in Buenos Aires. These services ended following the 1982 Falklands War. Lan Chile began regular weekly flights from Santiago to the Islands in 1997.
Governor Pearce also commented, during his BBC interview, on the progress which the Falklands has made since 1982. 'The Islanders are full of optimism and much more confident with their present circumstances. They feel more secure now than they did previously. Young people are undertaking their advanced education in the United Kingdom and bringing their skills back to the Islands. The Falklands are now a positive place to live'.
Patrick Watts (MP) Stanley
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