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Samoa Airways starts operations
November 17th 2017
Following the demise of Virgin Samoa, the South Pacific island nation this week launched its new flag carrier – Samoa Airways. Read More »
The Apia-based carrier launched operations with a single B737-800, on wet lease from Italy’s Neos.
The aircraft was ferried to Samoa from Milan, with pit stops in Muscat, Singapore and Cairns.
Samoa Airways performed its maiden flight on Monday on the Apia-Auckland route. It will fly six weekly rotations to New Zealand, in addition to twice-weekly flights to Sydney.
The airline also took over three DHC-6-300s from Polynesian Airlines which it will deploy on flights to Pago Pago in American Samoa, as well as on domestic hops linking Pago Pago with Fitiuta and Ofu.
It will partner with Fiji Airways for connectivity to Asia and the U.S.
“Samoa can no longer rely on others to determine our destiny in terms of air travel, we can no longer sit back and let others dictate to us what’s best for our people and this country,” Samoan Prime Minster, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, said in a speech posted on the Samoa Government’s Facebook page.
“Having our own airline ensures that we will be able to determine our destiny. Having our own airline will create jobs and will contribute to the economic growth of our country through increase exports and also contribute to increasing tourist to our country. Something that was not done under past arrangements [the Virgin Samoa joint venture],” he added.
The Prime Minister said the government “has not given the airline any funds to start the airline”, telling airline employees they had to “run it as a business”.
“To our airline management and staff, this is the time to work as professionals, to act as professionals, to put your best foot forward, to show case Samoa and its airline to the world. Do it right, do it properly and make the airline profitable,” Tuilaepa cautioned.
