Samoa is moving to close the Apia-Nadi flight route now serviced by Fiji Airways, as it moves to promote the use of Samoa Airways for passengers travelling between Samoa and Fiji.
The decision is revealed in a confidential Cabinet paper obtained by the Samoa Observer.
It reveals that during the cabinet meeting on February 12th discussed and endorsed “the closing of the Apia-Nadi and Nadi-Apia route.”
All travel intended for Fiji will be routed to Auckland using Samoa Airways and return via Auckland on the way back to Samoa
Travel from Hawaii, will come through Pago Pago and then to Apia says the document.
There’s no reasons given as to why the government has decided to close the Apia-Nadi route.
But the document reveals that the Minister of Samoa Airways, Lautafi Fio Purcell, has been tasked by Cabinet to discuss the new arrangement with the management of Fiji Airways.
The newspaper says efforts to obtain comment from the minister were unsuccessful.
In addition to its Nadi to Apia flights, Fiji Airways also has a weekly flight from Nadi to Honolulu via Apia and return from Honolulu to Nadi via Apia.
That flight has provided an alternative to American Samoa residents and those visiting the territory from Hawaii and the US mainland during peak travel season when Hawaiian Air flights are full.
