Fiji Airways is progressing in discussions with the Samoan Government.
This is about a deal which would both help Samoa reestablish its own national flag carrier, and provide work for Fiji Airways, including increased aircraft utilisation.
Shaenaz Voss, Fiji Airways Executive General Manager Corporate Affairs, confirmed an agreement in principal. But she said they were unable to release further details yet.
“We have an agreement in principal with the Samoan Government to assist them with support for their new national airline,” she said.
“The exact nature of this support is still subject to negotiation.”
Fiji Sun reports this comes amidst reports from CAPA (Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation) out of the recent International Air Transport Association (IATA) annual general meeting.
CAPA’s daily email news service Blue Swan Daily reported Fiji Airways could help the Samoan government acquire a Boeing 737NG for the new flag carrier.
Fiji Airways would train crew and provide support to the new airline.
The new aircraft is expected to take over Virgin Samoa’s current routes between Samoa and Australia and New Zealand.
The Blue Swan Daily reported that Fiji’s partnership with the Samoan government would also include a joint venture covering any additional flights that Fiji Airways operates from Samoa.
Under this Fiji Airways could soon be operating up to three weekly return flights from Apia to Honolulu.
Two additional flights will also come under the new deal.
Along with this, Fiji Airways is also planning to upgrade three of the Nadi-Apia frequencies from the ATR 72-600 turboprops to Boeing 737-800 jets.
The arrangement comes after the announcement of the coming dissolution of Virgin Samoa.
Virgin Samoa, formerly Polynesian Blue, is the current flag carrier of Samoa. It is owned by Virgin Australia, the Samoan Government and Samoa’s Grey Investment hotel group and operated and managed by Virgin Australia.
Virgin Samoa has served as the national carrier for Samoa since 2005, when a joint venture was forged between Virgin Australia and the Samoan Government. The government announced in May 2017 the termination of the joint venture by November 2017.
The Samoan Government had expressed disappointment with the level of service Samoa has been getting.
The joint venture with Virgin was set up after Samoa’s then government-owned flag carrier, Polynesian Airlines, expanded its international services and ran into major financial problems.
Polynesian now focuses on operating small turboprop flights between and within the two Samoas.
Fiji Airways currently operates nine weekly flights to the Samoan capital Apia. These include seven from Nadi, one from Suva and one weekly flight from Honolulu, Blue Swan reported.