By Staff Writer
Samoa Airways is not flying out to Savaii this Friday 28 August 2020, in a planned re-start of flights to the domestic destination.
The new plan is to move the timing back by two weeks to Friday 11 September, 2020.
The national carrier has to upgrade ‘our reservation systems which will enhance our booking services to all our customers’ is the cause for the delay.’
The airline statement announcing the delay did not explain if the reservation systems supgrade was unexpected.
The coronavirus pandemic and the absence of a leased aircraft for international travel have effectively closed the services of the national carrier down.
Rival carrier Air New Zealand has been the only one flying the New Zealand-Samoa route for repatriation and cargo flights.
The flights to Savaii will return Samoa Airways smaller aircrafts back on air to the big island after a long absence.
“The launch of Savai’i services is to support growing demand for a more convenient travel option to and from the market” CEO Tupuivao Seiuli Alvin Tuala said.
“It is also a way to build support for local corporate businesses and considering the current pandemic, a way to support local tourism operators with a quick weekend get away from ‘Upolu’ option.”
The airline will be working with local hotel operators on the ground to build weekend packages to support the industry on Savaii.
The airline admitted that the current pandemic had made the…”pushing of local tourism harder; however, the operation sets the base for Savai’i to be market ready when borders do open up”.