Tonga government commits to a two-airlines policy [1]
Monday, February 12, 2007 - 18:32. Updated on Monday, July 20, 2015 - 11:20.
The Tongan government will not wait forever for the Peau Vava'u Airways to get its service back on air, according to Viliami Ma'ake, the Acting Secretary and Director of Tonga's Ministry of Civil Aviation.
The Peau Vava'u ceased operation after the riot of 16/11 which destroyed their office at the Pacific Royale Hotel. Their only aircraft, a Jet Stream 41 was flown back to New Zealand, and all the staff were laid off.
Viliami said this morning that government was committed to a two-airlines policy for the domestic air service with the belief that competition would bring a better and cheaper air servide. Since 16/11 the Peau Vava'u have been saying that they will be back in service soon, but so far it had not happened.
He said that no deadline has been set for when Peau Vava'u should be back in operation but eventually with the government's two-airline policy they would have no other alternative but to advertise for a second airline to serve the domestic air service, and offer competition.
The Minister for Transport, who is also responsible for Civil Aviation was positive that the Peau Vava'u would get their Jet Stream 41 aircraft into service again, but there was no one in the Peau Vava'u new office at the former Tonga Electric Power Board Building to confirm when their Jet Stream 41 aircraft will be back in the air again. .
Since 16/11, the second domestic airline, Airline Tonga has been monopolizing in the domestic air service, providing daily services to Vava'u, Ha'apai and 'Eua with weekly flights to the two Niuas.
The airline is operating two 20-seater aircrafts that are based in Tonga, and they also have been bringing in a bigger 40-seater aircraft from Fiji to help with their operation and to meet the demand.