Samoa Airways Explained

Airline:Samoa Airways
Fleet Size:3
Destinations:3
Iata:OL
Icao:PAO
Callsign:POLYNESIAN
Founded: (as Polynesian Airlines)
Headquarters:Apia, Samoa
Key People:Peni (CEO)
Hubs:Faleolo International Airport
Website:https://samoaairways.com/

Samoa Airways, formerly Polynesian Airlines, is the flag carrier of Samoa.

The airline was founded in 1959 as "Polynesian Airlines", providing domestic and international flights throughout the South Pacific. International operations were temporarily halted in 2005 and taken over by new airline Polynesian Blue (later Virgin Samoa), before resuming international flights under the new name of "Samoa Airways" in late 2017.

Samoa Airways is wholly owned by the government of Samoa and is based in the capital city of Apia, with its headquarters located in the Samoa Methodist Church Building on Beach Road and its primary hub at Faleolo International Airport. The airline presently operates short-haul flights within Samoa and American Samoa, however it no longer serves long-haul flights to Australia and New Zealand after the company stopped it's jet operations in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

History

The airline was established in 1959 as "Polynesian Airlines",[1] and started operations in August that year. By 1969 it was running daily flights to Pago Pago using a Douglas DC-3, as well as services to Tonga and Fiji using a chartered Hawker Siddeley HS 748.[2]

In 2005, the airline's international jet flights were taken over by Polynesian Blue, a new airline established as a joint venture between the government of Samoa and Australian low-cost carrier Virgin Blue. Both the Samoan government and Virgin Blue each held 49% ownership of the new airline with the remaining 2% held by a Samoan investment group.[3] The government of Samoa cited rising operating costs for Polynesian Airlines, which accounted for more than half of the government's annual budget, as one of the main reasons for suspending its international operations. However, Polynesian Airlines continued to operate turboprop flights in Samoa and American Samoa.[4] In 2011, Virgin Blue announced a rebranding of its airline group, with its Samoan subsidiary being renamed "Virgin Samoa".[5]

In 2017, the Samoan government announced that it was closing down Virgin Samoa, citing a lack of competitive fare pricing and disappointing performance.[6] [7] In its place, Polynesian Airlines would resume international flights with the new name of "Samoa Airways".[8] The state-owned Samoa Airways partnered with Fiji Airways to assist with international flight operations,[8] and wet-leased a Boeing 737-800 from Italian airline Neos in a deal brokered by Icelandair.[9] International flights recommenced on 14 November 2017, with Samoa Airways flying from Apia to Auckland.[10]

Destinations

As of October 2020, Samoa Airways operates to the following destinations (including former destinations):[11]

Country/TerritoryCityAirportNotesRefs
American SamoaFitiutaFitiuta Airport
OfuOfu Airport
Pago PagoPago Pago International Airport
AustraliaBrisbaneBrisbane Airport
MelbourneMelbourne Airport
SydneySydney Airport
Cook IslandsRarotongaRarotonga International Airport
FijiNadiNadi International Airport
French PolynesiaPapeeteFa'a'ā International Airport
SamoaApiaFagali'i Airport
Faleolo International Airport
Savai'iMaota Airport[12]
New ZealandAucklandAuckland Airport
WellingtonWellington Airport
NiueAlofiNiue International Airport
TongaNuku'alofaFua'amotu International Airport
United StatesHonoluluDaniel K. Inouye International Airport
Los AngelesLos Angeles International Airport

Fleet

The Samoa Airways fleet comprises the following aircraft as of August 2021:[13] [14] [15]

Aircraft!rowspan=2
In
Service
OrdersPassengersNotes
CYTotal
de Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otter31 - 1919
Total 31

A Boeing 737 MAX 9 was ordered and was to be delivered in April 2019,[16] however the order was cancelled in the wake of the March 2019 worldwide Boeing 737 MAX groundings.

Previously operated

As Polynesian Airlines, the airline previously operated the following aircraft:[17] [18]

Samoa Airways former fleet
AircraftTotalIntroducedRetiredNotes
Boeing 727-200119871992Leased from Ansett Australia
Boeing 737-200119811987
Boeing 737-300119991999Leased from Qantas
120012001
Boeing 737-300QC119931994
Boeing 737-800220002006
Boeing 767-200ER119941994Leased from Kuwait Airways
Boeing 767-300ER119931994Leased from Air Canada
Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander319692011
de Havilland Canada 8-100120042007
Douglas C-47 Skytrain319631970
Douglas C-54 Skymaster119681969
GAF Nomad119781987
Hawker Siddeley HS 748219721982
Percival Prince319591963

Accidents and incidents

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Samoa Airways . About Samoa Airways . 6 March 2018.
  2. News: WESTERN SAMOA HAS AN AIRWAYS BOOM . Pacific Islands Monthly . 40 . 11 . 35 . 1 November 1969 . 13 August 2022 . National Library of Australia.
  3. News: Virgin Blue picks up Samoa flights . CNN . 14 July 2005 . 6 March 2018.
  4. News: Virgin Blue, Samoa form joint airline . . 14 July 2005 . 6 March 2018.
  5. News: Polynesian Blue to become Virgin Samoa . Australian Aviation . 7 December 2011 . 7 March 2018.
  6. News: Govt. drops Virgin . . 18 May 2017 . 7 March 2018.
  7. News: Virgin Australia mulling over next step in Samoa . . 23 May 2017 . 7 March 2018.
  8. News: Schofield . Adrian . Fiji Airways, Samoan Government Set Up Joint Venture . Aviation Week . 7 July 2017 . 7 March 2018.
  9. News: Samoa Airways eyes B737 MAX equipment down the line . ch-aviation . 21 September 2017 . 7 March 2018.
  10. News: Samoa Airways adds maiden aircraft, launches . ch-aviation . 14 November 2017 . 7 March 2018.
  11. Web site: Samoa Airways . Destinations We Fly To . 3 October 2020.
  12. Web site: Liu . Jim . Samoa Airways resumes Apia – Savai'i from late-August 2020 . Routesonline . 21 August 2020.
  13. Web site: Samoa Airways. Expression of Interest - Pilots. 6 February 2018. 7 March 2018.
  14. Web site: Samoa Airways to wet-lease 737-800 from Malindo.
  15. Web site: Samoa Airways Fleet Details and History. Planespotters.net. August 25, 2021.
  16. Web site: Samoa Airways to lease one B737 MAX 9 from ALC. 18 January 2019. ch-aviation.com.
  17. Web site: Polynesian Airlines Fleet Details and History. Planespotters.net. August 29, 2021.
  18. Web site: Polynesian Airlines. aerobernie.bplaced.net. February 20, 2021.
  19. Web site: ASN Aircraft accident Douglas R4D-5 (DC-3) 5W-FAB Apolima Strait. Aviation Safety Network. 14 August 2015.
  20. Web site: Douglas C-47B-45-DK (DC-3D) 5W-FAC accident description . Aviation Safety Network . 11 October 2010.
  21. Web site: ASN Aircraft accident Britten-Norman BN-2A Islander 5W-FAF Asau Airport (AAU). Aviation Safety Network. 14 August 2015.
  22. Web site: Ranter. Harro. Accident Boeing 737-3Q8 5W-ILF, 13 Sep 1994. 2021-10-01. aviation-safety.net.
  23. Web site: Vol. 64 No. 12 (Dec. 1, 1994). 2021-10-15. Trove. en.
  24. Book: Petaia, Ruperake. The Miracle. Ruperake Petaia. 2013. 9781301251636. English.
  25. Web site: ASN Aircraft accident de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 5W-FAU Apia-Fagali'i Airport (FGI). Aviation Safety Network. 14 August 2015.