FROM OUR ARCHIVES, January 23, 2008:

Tonga's new Director of the Civil Aviation Department, Sean Te'o has no immediate plans to look for another domestic airline to improve the service in Tonga.

One of Tonga's two domestic airlines the Peau Vava'u has been grounded since the 16/11 riots in 2006 when their office was gutted by fire. Since then Peau Vava'u has neither made any substantial investment to get the Peau Vava'u back into service, nor surrendered its Air Operator's Certificate, so it has left government in a difficult position.

Sean said that to open up for another carrier to come in depended entirely on the Government of Tonga.

"We have not actively gone out to look or advertise for a new air service, because, first of all, I think we have to tidy up our own backyard.

"We do not want a repeat of what happened to Peau Vava'u, when an airline came in and made promises to the people of Tonga and did not live up to those expectations," he said.

Disappointed public

Meanwhile, Sean said that the Ministry of Civil Aviation has informed Tonga's other domestic operator, Airlines Tonga, of the public disappointment with their unstable schedule.

"We are only the regulatory body who sets regulations for them to adhere to. In terms of maintaining their schedule the airline has to deal with the public when it comes to that," he said.

Sean is a pilot and a Lead Aviation Auditor who has previously worked for the Royal Tongan Airlines, and in Australia and Papua New Guinea.