Air New Zealand hasn't flown there since January, and Mr Salwai says the country's problem-plagued airport runway has hit the economy hard - however he expects resurfacing to begin early next year.
Mr Salwai says he understands Air New Zealand's refusal to resume services, but says if passenger services are not running, neither should charter flights.
"It affected the whole economy of the country," says Mr Salwai.
The runway has required multiple emergency patch-up jobs, and regular sweeping to ensure asphalt isn't sucked up into jet engines.
