Tonga Civil Aviation Authority investigating Saab 340 incident [1]
Tuesday, December 12, 2023 - 18:26. Updated on Wednesday, December 13, 2023 - 10:50.
By Katalina Siasau
Lulutai Airline's 19-seater DHC-6 Twin Otter will service the Vava'u and Ha'apai routes over the Christmas holidays, while the other two aircraft in its domestic fleet are out of service.
The Prime Minister Hon. Hu'akavameiliku told a media briefing in Nuku'alofa today, that the Civil Aviation Authority of the Ministry of Infrastructure is investigating the incident with the Saab 340 aircraft at Fua'amotu Airport last Friday 8 December.
He said the Saab 340 experienced a technical issue after it landed at Fua'amotu airport, when taxiing back to the terminal "the aircraft turned and hit a cement block on the side of the apron".
This was after the aircraft had earlier aborted its landing at Vava'u and returned to Fua'amotu)
The Prime Minister confirmed that none of the 35 passengers was seriously injured during the incident or had reported injuries after the incident.
“One man was carried by the soldiers who responded to the incident, because there was no wheelchair, but he is reported to be okay,” said the PM.
Civil Aviation investigation
“The incident is undergoing investigation, the Civil Aviation from now are handling all that regarding the technical issue of the aircraft," the PM said.
He also noted that Lulutai Airlines needed to talk about this matter internally, before they could disclose any more information to the public.
The Prime Minister is the chairperson of the Board of Directors for the Lulutai Airlines Ltd.
Lost service
Lulutai’s Y12 aircraft is currently undergoing repairs, leaving the new aircraft Twin Otter, delivered in October 2023, to look after the flights from Tongatapu to the outer islands.
“The Twin Otter will cover Vava’u and Ha’apai, while ‘Eua can use sea transport because it is close by,” said the PM.
“Lulutai will need to prioritise the flights depending on the passengers urgency to travel."
According to recently published schedules, the Lulutai Saab 340 had been flying twice daily during the week to Vava'u, with up to four flights on Saturdays. That means it was offering over 400 seats a week or over 2200 seats a month. With the Saab out of service, those seats are lost over one of the busiest times of the year.