FlyNiu this morning, filed with the Supreme Court, Nuku'alofa, for an injunction on the Ministry of Civil Aviation's revocation of their licence to operate a domestic air service. FlyNiu was one of two airlines that have provided domestic services since the collapse of the government's Royal Tongan airlines in May.

The Chief Executive Officer of FlyNiu, 'Atu Finau, said that their lawyer, William Edwards, filed for an injunction with the Supreme Court to allow the airline to continue operation while they were trying to settle some legal matters over what they believed to be the rushed introduction of a national one-airline policy by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation made a public announcement on August 3 that a National Domestic Airline Service Policy was approved by the Privy Council on July 30, and this policy would come into force on August 15 when only one of the two domestic airlines would be issued with a licence to operate the domestic air service.

The secretary for Civil Aviation Mapa Faletau told a Press Conference on August 3 that the two airlines had to reapply and only an airline that complied fully with the requirements of the Ministry would be issued with a licence to operate.

'Atu said that they did not apply but they established a platform for dialogue with the ministry and had pointed out what they thought was wrong with the new national policy. He was hopeful that a Supreme Court decision would be made today in their favour.

'Atu Finau said that he received the revocation via fax message from the Ministry of Civil Aviation on Saturday morning.

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