Talofa Airways brings in new aircraft, looks to expanding its service

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Talofa Airways anticipated the arrival of its third aircraft expected to land at Faleolo international airport, at 5p.m., Wednesday, October 11, 2023 (yesterday Samoa time).

The aircraft is piloted by Thomas Lobex, owner of Gateway Company in California and Captain Jeffery Hunter, Chairman of Talofa Airways in Samoa.

 Speaking with Samoa News, Maria Westerland Hunter of Maria’s Pharmacy and operator of Talofa Airways in Apia says Samoa Airways third aircraft left Honolulu for Samoa earlier today (Wednesday Samoa time).

“She is scheduled to make a stop at the Christmas Island for refuel then directly non- stop to Faleolo International Airport, to arrive as scheduled at 1700hours today.”

The new aircraft is a Twin Aero Commander 690B Model, according to Westerland Hunter — the same as the two they already have in operation, nine seaters.  

She said, having the same aircraft in their fleet is much easier to handle, registering the same kind/ specifications, and it’s already been accepted, so it’s easier to handle the similarities, and they’ve decided to continue on with the same type.

“It can fly anywhere in the Pacific,” she said.

Westerland Hunter says, she is excited about news of the new aircraft being flown in by her husband, and with faith, she went to Mass this morning.

With number three on the way, now they’d be able to fly to Tonga in November, and have already set up a date for that — November 14, 2023.

But in the meantime Talofa Airways continues to fly between Faleolo and Tafuna International Airport, while still hoping for an improvement to the tarmac at Fagalii airstrip, so they will be able to land at Fagalii as well,

“We can still land at Fagalii airstrip, but it would be very costly, and we are trying to minimize our costing.”

Furthermore Westerland Hunter says there are a lot of passengers flying from American Samoa to Samoa who are in transit to Fiji, Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia and also locals who reside at the western end of Upolu and Savaii.

Talofa Airways flying in and out of Faleolo to Tafuna and back gives passengers options, including those in transit to Pago off one of the airlines arriving internationally.

“We are here to serve our people, just like the Pharmacy,” she said. Maria’s Pharmacy in downtown Apia was recently lost in a fire, noting that “we are hoping to rebuild, and it would be a new and bigger building at the same location, to be ready by April 2024.”

 “The new addition to [the] Talofa Airways fleet will receive its christening officially once it’s registered, then there’d be more flights … to cater for the demand and to accommodate,” she said.

She also spoke of Talofa Airways already accepting a request from the Wallis and Futuna Islands to fly there. This will happen soon with the new aircraft, she said.

 “We’ve been asked to cover the routes, and that’s been approved by Wallis and Futuna,” Westerland Hunter said.