The House of Representatives has approved a House Concurrent Resolution requesting the Governor to work with the Legislature to secure funding to construct an air traffic control tower at Pago Pago International Airport.
According to the measure Pago Pago International Airport has been without an air traffic control tower for more than two decades. The Federal Aviation Administration deemed that the amount of traffic at the local airport was insufficient and that Samoa’s Faleolo Airport could provide adequate services through instrument readings and off site communications with aircraft. The FAA discontinued funding to maintain the tower and with no funding available, the government agreed to close it.
The resolution states that during the early 1970s, American Samoa experienced its worst air disaster with the tragic crash of a Pan Am passenger flight. Official findings on the cause of the crash revealed that the plane experienced unexpected cross-winds and heavy rains which resulted in the aircraft missing the runway during the landing. At that time, the advisory services for the territory were provided out of Suva, Fiji.
Over the past months, incidents with flights to the territory have brought to light the need to reopen the tower to provide advisory services. For example weather conditions forced a Hawaiian Airlines flight to circle over the airport several times before the pilots decided to return to Honolulu. The resolution suggest that if air traffic control services were made available, the aircraft could have been guided to a safe landing.
The resolution also points out that with Hawaiian Air adding a third weekly flight and increased flights on the inter Samoa route, and to Manu’a, the need for a local air traffic control tower is justified.
The resolution was originally sponsored by Reps Larry Sanitoa, Vala Porotesano Liusamoa and Manavaalofa Manase but before it was was unanimously approved, all of the House members names were added as sponsors.
