16 April 2007
The New Zealand Defence Force aircraft loading team, which has worked to assist the Solomon Islands aid effort over the past week, returned to New Zealand tonight.
The eight person team, made up of six Air Force and two Army personnel, has been based in Honiara planning and loading aid supply pellets on to aircraft flying to the areas worst hit by the earthquake and tsunami of April 2.
The team arrived home to Whenuapai at 6pm on a Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130 Hercules which had delivered NZAID and other emergency supplies to Munda, 30km South of Gizo, on Sunday.
Sunday’s aid flight was the third RNZAF Hercules sent by the New Zealand Defence Force to deliver emergency supplies to Solomon Islands since the disaster.
A contingent of 43 New Zealand regular and territorial force soldiers will remain in the Solomon Islands in support of the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands.
ENDS
For further information please contact James Heffield, Defence Public Relations, on 04 496 0286 or 021 676 338.
More images are available at our Solomon Islands image gallery.