Air Vanuatu says chief still in place

Vanuatu's national carrier Air Vanuatu Friday hit back at reports its chief executive had been sacked, saying Joseph Laloyer remained the only person authorised to run the airline. The Vanuatu Daily Post said Monday that Laloyer was stood down by the board of directors the previous week. But in a short statement issued Friday Air Vanuatu said Laloyer remains "the duly appointed Chief Executive Officer of Air Vanuatu (Operations) Ltd." "As authorised by Civil Aviation Authority of Vanuatu, Mr. Laloyer is the only approved and responsible holder of Air Vanuatu's Air Operators Certificate (AOC)," it said. The statement said Laloyer, who has slashed the carrier's debts from about $14 million in 2008 to $1.2 million by 2010, remained committed to the growth and success of Air Vanuatu for its shareholders and the people of Vanuatu. Air Vanuatu reportedly contributes 10 percent to the gross domestic product of the Pacific island country famed for its idyllic lifestyle.