Guests on Virgin Australia’s first flight to Samoa in three years were greeted warmly as a proud Samoan crew operated the flight.
Sydney-Apia services commenced last Tuesday, and flights from Brisbane resumed on 23 March — with both routes flying up to two return flights a week on the airline’s Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
The all-Samoan cabin crew and First Officer cordially greeted visitors, who were treated to a traditional song during the flight and a cultural welcome upon landing in Apia. Virgin Australia Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer Alistair Hartley said the return was excellent news for passengers throughout the Pacific.
“Samoa has a significant Visiting Friends and Relatives (VFR) market, so we wanted to mark this occasion with a Samoan team,” he explained. “It’s an exciting step in the rebuilding of four short-haul international network, and it comes ahead of our return to Vanuatu later this month.”
Samoa is well-known for its rich culture and friendly people. It has been a favourite Virgin Australia network destination since 2005.”Samoa Tourism Authority CEO Pativaine Petaia-Tevita said: “The return of Virgin Australia flights from Australia to Samoa is wonderful news for the nation, bolstering our efforts to develop and recover Samoa’s visitor economy. ”
With a diverse flight schedule, more and more travellers will have the opportunity to visit us and experience Fa’a-Samoa, our wonderful culture, and our way of life.” Guests travelling on Samoa services can access the rest of Virgin Australia’s domestic and short-haul international networks via Brisbane and Sydney.
Flights from Brisbane and Sydney will be daytime services as yesterday, 28 March.With the business relaunch in November 2020, Virgin Australia’s international short-haul network has expanded to include Bali, Queenstown, Nadi, Port Vila, Apia, and Tokyo (Haneda), which will begin in June 2023. Due to new short-haul international services, Virgin Australia’s international capacity will increase by 50% b y mid-2024.