Virgin Australia is seeking to establish its own flight services to Samoa once its Virgin Samoa joint venture with the Samoan government ends in November.
According to Flight Global News, Virgin Australia has applied to Australia’s International Air Services Commission for an allocation of 880 weekly seats on the Samoa route, which will allow it to launch five-times weekly services from Australia using 176-seat Boeing 737-800s.
Its filing with the Commission shows that it is seeking the allocation for five years, and will be fully utilised by November 13.
Virgin Samoa is the only carrier to fly between Samoa and Australia, operating thrice-weekly Apia-Samoa services, and a weekly Apia-Brisbane service. It also flies a daily Auckland-Apia service.
The application comes after the Samoan government signaled that it will launch a new carrier, Samoa Airways, to replace Virgin Samoa on routes to Australia and New Zealand.
