The capacity of Tonga's inter-islands sea and air transport system has been reduced dramatically during the past weeks because government has tightened up on public transportation safety requirements.

Within nine days from 1-9 February, government has grounded the 56-seater MA60 aircraft of Real Tonga Airline and have reduced the number of passengers who could travel on the MV 'Otuanga'ofa from 400 to 150.

Transportation in the kingdom on sea, land and air are under the authority of the Ministry of Infrastructure.

Starting at the first week of this month, February the government owned ferry, the MV 'Otuanga'ofa had to reschedule its weekly service to Ha'apai and Vava'u. It has reduced the number of passengers that it could carry on each trip from 400 to 150 because their liferafts were not fully equipped, according to Mosese Fakatou from the Friendly Island Shipping Agency Ltd, a government owned company that operates the ferry.

The new schedule for the 'Otuanga'ofa is that it sails to Ha'apai and back on Monday, then to Vava'u and back on Wednesday.

Mosese believed that the authority had over reacted. He said that they should be given three to five months, to replenish their supplies. What was missing in the life rafts, were first aid supplies, food and water. He was hopeful that they could get their supplies in the second week of February.

However, as of today, 13 February the 'Otuanga'ofa sailing schedule for Ha'apai and Vava'u for the coming weeks remained unchanged.

With regards to air transport, the cancellation by government of its lease agreement with Real  Tonga Airline of the 56-seater MA60 aircraft has taken the aircraft out of service with a devastating impact on air transport between Tongatapu and Vava'u.

The Real Tonga Airline had announced that they are bringing in a replacement of the MA60 to be in service by mid March.

It has also been revealed that the grounding of the MA60 was because government terminated the lease agreement between the owner of the aircraft, the government of Tonga and the Real Tonga Airline.

Government is in the process of setting up another airline to operate the MA60 and compete the Real Tonga Airline.