Real Tonga

Its chief executive Tevita Palu said that they chose Samoa as their first international destination because of the love for the country.

The airline has been servicing Tonga domestically since its inception five years ago.

Polynesian Airlines, now Samoa Airways, used to fly between Apia and Tongatapu in the 1980s and 1990s.

Mr Palu told Samoa Observer that there hasn't been a direct service from Tonga to Samoa for almost ten years and the only way to get to Samoa was to go via Auckland or Nadi.

The twice weekly service is to operate Mondays and Fridays starting May 4, 2018.

This new route will save travellers time and money as the alternative flight options are via Fiji or Auckland, involving an overnight stay and taking 30 hours to complete.

The new service will take 3 hours and 15 minutes to Samoa, and the flight’s schedule will improve connections with Pago Pago and Honolulu.

Samoa has direct flights from Auckland, Brisbane, Honolulu, Nadi, Pago Pago and Sydney and now Tonga making it easier to visit.

The airline recently won the bid to operate the MA60 after a previous lease between the two was terminated in February after the 56-seater plane was grounded.

Real Tonga's chief executive Tevita Palu says the company is now waiting on the government to certify the aircraft but he hopes to use it for international routes.

"There is nothing stopping us from doing that. The aeroplane, the MA60, it was not capable of doing that route before so hopefully this time round the aircraft will be certified to serve those routes."