The notice on the Hawaiian Airlines website of its flight service to Pago Pago being suspended up to November 30, was made after the airline received a request from Governor Lolo Moliga.
Airline spokesman Alex da Silva said in an email yesterday, “We are suspending service through November at the governor’s request.”
When we followed up yesterday with the Chairman of the Coronavirus Task Force Iulogologo Joseph Pereira he said the request to Hawaiian Airlines went out yesterday.
We were provided a copy of the Governor’s letter to Mr Peter Ingram, President and CEO of Hawaiian Airlines dated October 1.
The governor’s request for suspension of flights for November mentions for the first time a possible repatriation flight.
Lolo first conveyed the thanks of leaders and the people of American Samoa to Mr Ingram and the airline for their staunch support of our efforts to protect lives by preventing the “accidental transmission of the COVID-19 virus by travelers” through the suspension of flights.
He said with the “unstable and the appeared uncontrollable transmission” of the coronavirus environment in Hawaii and the mainland, the territory is left with little recourse but to continue border closure for the month of November as well.
Lolo expressed the hope that Hawaiian Airlines will continue to support American Samoa’s request for special medical charter flights for patients seeking off island treatment.
“Moreover many of our local residents have standing medical appointments with outside health care institutions but have been unable to attend because of our border closure. We are also exploring the possibility of requesting a special repatriation charter to bring stranded residents home, ” he said in his letter to Mr. Ingram.
He informed Mr Ingram that the economic and financial hardships being faced by Hawaiian Airlines exacerbated by American Samoa’s border closure policy has not gone unnoticed, “and we are filled with gratitude that Hawaiian Airlines “is committed to placing lives before profits.”
