Results for MA60

Tonga's MA60 aircraft was scheduled to fly Vava'u at 3:00pm, today Tevita Palu, the CEO for Palu Aviation announced this morning at Fua’amotu Airport.

Tonga's grounded MA60 aircraft is expected to resume its domestic air service this week, operated by Real Tonga, Tevita Palu, the airline’s CEO told Matangi Tonga yesterday, 8 August. However, it is still not clear whether or not the aircraft has been certified by an internationally recognized certification authority.

Tonga has been struggling during the past few years to get its domestic air services to operate efficiently. Tevita Palu, owner of Real Tonga Airlines, said that the grounding of the MA60 and the sudden termination by government of their lease agreement has plunged his operation into a more difficult situation.

New Zealand will release about NZ$10.5 million in New Zealand aid grant to Tonga that has been withheld since 2013, the New Zealand Foreign Minister, Hon. Murray McCully announced in Nuku'alofa yesterday, 16 February, after the government had grounded its controversial MA60 aircraft.

Tonga's domestic MA60 aircraft operations have been suspended from February 8 and the aircraft has been returned to the government, Real Tonga announced today, citing new legislation that took effect on Sunday.

The first of two Jetstream J32 aircraft acquired by Real Tonga is expected to arrive in Tongatapu next week, according to the General Manager of Tourism Tonga, Stuart Perry, who said today that the strengthening of the inter-island domestic air service is critically important for the whole economy.

The Chinese Embassy in Nuku’alofa came out for the first time today to state that its gifted MA60 aircraft to Tonga was verified by China’s aviation airworthiness standard, and that while it satisfies requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) the manufacturer had not applied for certifications in countries where it did not operate.