How an ex-commando trainer from Singapore is changing tourism in the Pacific

While the superpowers and regional actors jostle for influence in the Pacific Ocean, Singapore and an ex-commando trainer may play a key role in changing the tourism landscape there. In September, the new Alii Palau Airlines will connect the aviation hub of Singapore’s Changi Airport to pristine Palau, one of the world’s top diving destinations. Made up of some 340 islands in the Pacific Ocean, the country is a bonanza of back-to-nature attractions. And the network is expected to grow rapidly to include direct links with other Asian cities. “There is not a better transit hub than Changi Airport within Asia. With Singapore’s excellent connectivity, we can tap travellers from Europe, the Middle East, India and even from the United States,” says Ms Akanksha Johri, CFO of Alii Palau Airlines. Alii means “hello” in Palauan. “Transit travellers cannot fault the beauty, ease, safety and quality of Changi,” adds Ms Johri, an India-born Singapore resident who is also known as AJ. Currently, getting to Palau involves tedious connections via Manila, Taipei or Port Moresby. Flights from Tokyo and Incheon involve an expensive and even lengthier transit in Guam, a US territory. Travel time can range from 14 to 24 hours. While there is a seven-hour flight via Manila, this is limited to Tuesdays and Fridays. The flight arrives in Palau at an unearthly 2am, which means a wasted night of accommodation. On the other hand, the upcoming Singapore-to-Palau flight will take less than five hours and arrive in the day, perfect to kick-start a vacation. Besides the Little Red Dot’s aviation link, Alii Palau Airlines has another Singapore story that can be traced to local entrepreneur James S.C.Goh, a former Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) warrant officer and trainer, who has done business in various territories of the Pacific over the past 40 years.<br/>