REMEMBERING JONE KOROITAMANA

In remembering the late Jone Koroitamana I wish to first extend my heartfelt sympathies to Akanisi Koroitamana and family for their sad loss.

I also fully endorse the sentiments expressed by Norman Yee and reported in the Fiji Sun on April 11th, 2020.

Jone was a humble, unassuming and engaging person, if you did not know Jone, then you would never know he was the CEO of the Civil Aviation Authority if you happened to be having a chat with him. Jone was well liked, respected and highly regarded within and outside the Nadi community. He had a unique laugh.

I had the privilege of working with him when I was appointed to replace the late Graham Rouse on the Board of the Civil Aviation Authority by then Minister, the late Hon David Pickering. I was also appointed to the Board of ATS representing CAAF and at the time Bill Cruikshank was Chairman.

I remember fondly our regular rendezvous at the Nadi Airport Club. Jone was instrumental in helping a group of us including Don Collingwood, Mua Taukave, Joe Kamali, Joe Savu, Bill Waka among others reopen the Airport Club and its pool so that children from the Airport School and surrounding area could use it for swimming. Others who provided support included Mohan Lal, Jan Mohammed and many more.

I will never forget this one particular day in March 1983 when a few of us were sitting at the Bar being served by Waqa the barman some days after Cyclone Oscar had delivered its blow, which came about 3 weeks after TC Mark also hammed Fiji.

This was 37 years ago, so while the specifics may be a little hazy, this actually did happen.

Anyway we were all chatting and enjoying few beers after being locked up at home when I received an urgent call from one of my top agents in Australia who was desperately trying to arrange some method of transfer from the Mamanuca Resorts back to Nadi for about 100 plus of their stranded guests in the coming days so they could fly out of Fiji on the first available flights.

All the regular sea and air services were not operating due to damage and operational issues post cyclone.

I said I would get back to them asap and went back to my seat, Now the people I happen to be enjoying a drink with included Mr Jone Koroitamana, Captain Bennett CAAF Air worthiness Official, Bill Waka, the Manager Nadi Airport, Joe Kamali, Joe Savu and a few others.

Of course, everyone was curious about the call, so I briefed them. They asked me what I intended to do about it and I answered, well unless one of you can tell me where I can pick up an amphibious aircraft in the next 24 hours and start bringing in some 100 plus stranded passengers into Nadi, I’ll have to go find a vessel that can do it.

And just like that Captain Bennett said well Mick , if you move quickly and you have the right man there beside you to help make it happen [Jone Koroitamana] there should be a 10 seater twin engine amphibious aircraft on the tarmac at Nausori airport at this very moment refueling and getting ready to continue its flight from Tuvalu where it was based back to Mechanics Bay, Auckland where its home base is.

Bill Waka and Joe Kamali made some calls to establish the status of the aircraft and reported that in fact it was refueling just as Captain Bennett said. Captain Bennett then gave me a contact number to call and ask for a Murry Pope, the owner, which I did and spoke to Murry, told him the situation and offered him a extra weekend stay in Nadi all-expenses paid to help us out. And he agreed.

About an hour later, I drove down to the old hanger where the late Dick Smith had his airline operations based to meet Murray Pope and his Chief Engineer Campbell [the guys called him shambles] and we went back up to the Club and joined the rest of the team.

And right there at the Airport Club Bar less than 4 hours after the SOS call from Australia Murry Pope and I reached an agreement on a handshake, and Jone Koroitamana being right on the spot and realizing the urgency of the undertaking told all his officials to work with Murry and Campbell and expedite all of the necessary checks and air safety requirements to certify the aircraft and allow it to operate out of Nadi Airport and fly in all of the standard passengers. There were no short cuts or concessions, everything was done according to requirements, but that fact that it was urgent and Jone had his eye on it, it happened in record time.

Needless to say my agents were speechless and just could not believe that within 72 hours of their near impossible request to me to help their stranded passengers, I had a 10-seater amphibious aircraft operational and flying in all the standard passenger and ensuring every one of them caught their flights out of Fiji.

Things like this just do not happen unless you have leaders like Jone Koroitamana in positions of influence not only exercising good judgement but backing it up with his team at CAAF, and thanks to Jone Koroitamana and his team, out of this rescue mission Sun Tours Air Transport System [STATS] was created as a new division of my family company Sun Tours Fiji. The official launch was held at the Nadi Travelodge [now Tanoa International] and we were honoured to have Hon Ratu Sir Kamasese Mara, Prime Minister of Fiji as our Chief Guest.

Cousin Chris Blake, was our manager and brother Bill and Jack Vosawale assisted him and I think Jibbu and Raju handled baggage.. The last pilot of the Goose was Gary Jones, who went on to fly for Air Pacific, then Fiji Airways and is today the owner of Stoney Creek and lives a few kilometers up the road from me in Sabeto.

May you rest in peace Jone and thank you for your part in making those years ‘the good life’ that we all had the good fortunate to have lived and enjoyed. Vina Du