Tonga's airport, ports open, but strike affects shipping [1]
Saturday, July 23, 2005 - 15:20. Updated on Monday, May 12, 2014 - 09:40.
Tonga's International Fua'amotu Airport remains open, and international flights today were not affected by the Tongan Public Servants ongoing strike action, but a Forum cargo ship has bypassed Tonga.
Air New Zealand and Polynesian flights arrived in Tonga and departed as scheduled today. The Tonga manager of Air New Zealand, Sue Gardiner, said that the scheduled Tonga flights for Sunday night, Monday morning and Tuesday were going ahead.
"We have been told that Civil Aviation, Immigration and Customs staff will be working," she said today.
Ship sails on
Meanwhile, the MV Forum Rarotonga cargo vessel, which was due to berth in Tonga yesterday evening, continued on to Pago Pago and Apia without stopping.
"We didn't want to bring the vessel in to Tonga because although the customs and immigration were working it appeared there were not enough staff in the other departments to clear the cargo", said the acting Tonga manager of Forum Shipping, Latu Lui. "We told the ship to go on to Samoa and come back to Tonga next Wednesday."
The Forum Samoa is their next vessel expected in Tonga July 26. Latu said that while the Port Authority was keeping the wharf open and vessels could berth and sail, "but it's only the cargo clearances problem- if we can't clear the cargo we don't want to discharge it," he said.