The Tongan government is chartering a Fiji Airways ATR72 aircraft to repatriate 58 Tongans who have been stranded in Fiji since Tonga locked down its border on 23 March 2020. They aim to bring them home on Thursday July 9.

It is the first group of Tongans that government will repatriate ito Tonga, from among the about 7000 Tongans who are stranded overseas because of the COVID-19 lockdowns.

According to the Chief Executive Officer of the Prime Minister’s Office, Edgar Cocker, most of the 58 Tongans who will be on the Thursday flight from Fiji are doctors and nurses.

Details of the ATR72 charter air service have not been officially released, but already out in public was a statement by the Prime Minister, Hon. Pohiva Tu'i'onetoa that Tongan doctors and nurses would be repatriated from Fiji on Thursday. 

Both the Fijian Airlines office in Nuku’alofa, and the Tanoa Hotel are all set for the operation to go ahead.

Waiting

The Fiji Airlines representative in Tonga, Lovey Maka, told Matangi Tonga this afternoon, "we are ready with airline charter agreement to sign, and we are just waiting for the government."

Government officials need to sign the charter documents for the ATR72 to repatriate 58 Tongans to Tonga. The return flight is expected to repatriate some Fijians and other foreign nationals to Fiji.

At the Tanoa Hotel, General Manager Jason Strickland said that they were all set to quarantine the 58 Tongans for two weeks, "but when?"

Tonga so far remains CoVid-19 free, however it is expected that once passenger arrivals are permitted, it's possible that cases may arise in quarantine.

Today, Monday, officials carried out another drill on how to process arriving passengers at the airport.

Several drills have been carried out over recent weeks. Special buses transferring the passengers from the airport to the Tanoa Hotel will be guarded by the Police. Passengers who are transferred to quarantine at the Tanoa Hotel are to be guarded by soldiers.