There will be no Peau Vava'u Airways domestic service in Tonga until May 11, the airline announced today, , after returning their 50 seater Convair aircraft to New Zealand on May 5.

The airline's other aircraft, a PVA DC3, has been out of operation for about a year and will not be ready for operation until May 11. A statement from Peau Vava'u today said that it regretted that its service would be disrupted, while staff training was carried out on board the DC3.

A spokesperson from the Tongan Civil Aviation Authority today confirmed that the PVA DC3 aircraft was issued with a Certificate of Air Worthiness earlier on March 31, and it would be effective until March 2008.

The DC3 aircraft has been out of action since May 2005 awaiting a spare part from America.