Tevita Palu, CEO of Real Tonga

The first of two 17 seater Y-12 aircrafts leased by Real Tonga airline from Vanuatu is expected to arrive in Tonga next week to start servicing the outer islands on March 4, 2013.

Tonga's current sole domestic carrier Chathams Pacific of New Zealand will discontinue its services on Saturday, March 2.

Tevita Palu, the Chief Executive Officer of Real Tonga and Palu Aviation Services Ltd today held a breakfast program with the local travel and tourism industry and confirmed that the first aircraft would start servicing the outer islands as planned.

He said a second 17-seater Y-12 aircraft was expected to arrive on March 28 to start service on April 1. "We have announced our airfares and schedule but we will revise them in April when the second aircraft arrives," he said.

Tevita assured Tongans that the aircraft is safe, and said that it is an approved aircraft that has been used in Tonga and is in operation in Vanuatu.

"We are providing the best available service to the public at this stage. But there is still room for improvement in regards to both our schedule and airfares as we develop," he said.

The company had always aimed to run a domestic airline. "We applied twice to government and were denied for reasons not given to us. We decided to take up this challenge as Chathams Pacific decided to move out of Tonga," he said.

The current schedule of the new airline has weekly flights to 'Eua, Vava'u and Ha'apai, with flights to the two Niuas to start on April 1.

Real Tonga is a Tongan-owned airline operated by Tevita and his company Palu Aviation Services.

Domestic

In January, Chathams Pacific announced it would discontinue its scheduled air services on March 2 due to a loss of business confidence, after the Tonga government moved to procure aircraft from China.

The aircraft from China are expected to arrive in April, two months earlier than was initially anticipated, according to the Government of Tonga.