Samoa ends lease with Malaysia-based airline

Samoa Airways will return a 737 it's been leasing from a Malaysia-based airline for the past year.

Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi told national radio 2AP it's probably the right time to end the lease.

The national airline last week suspended all flights indefinitely.

The 737-800 had been leased from Malindo Air because of delays caused by the worldwide grounding of the 737-Max aircraft.

Tuilaepa said the Covid-19-related groundings provided a good time to find a better plane.