People travelling from Samoa to American Samoa now no longer have to pay departure tax at Faleolo International Airport.
Previously the $65 tax was paid on departure at the airport.
This was one of the issues the American Samoa territory’s administration raised at the talks between the two Samoas.
The American Samoa delegation wanted the departure tax paid at the airport scrapped however Samoa Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa responded that paying departure tax was a norm and that the $65 departure tax was usually included in the airline tickets.
However, Samoa Airways and Talofa Airways were not paying that money to the Samoa Airport Authority hence the inevitable change in process of having the tax collected separately at Faleolo Airport.
Now the Samoa Government has reverted back to the system of including the tax in airline tickets.
The Chief Executive Officer Fauoo Fatu Tielu confirmed to Tala Fou that this came into effect on 28 April 2023.
Travelers who paid for their tickets before that date are still required to pay departure tax at Faleolo Airport but those who bought tickets after that date will have departure tax included in their tickets.
Photo credit Tala Fou