Pacific Air Charters will begin limited scheduled flights between Tutuila and Manu’a this Friday, October 3.
Airline President Marshall Ashley said the company is permitted to operate on a limited weekly schedule while it awaits approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) for full flight service.
Pacific Air Charters—owned by local businessman Papalii Laulii Alofa, his wife Leota Wanda Alofa, and their children—is operating on a Part 135 certificate offering on-demand air charter services in Hawaii.
The company has a single 9-passenger Tecnam Traveller aircraft based at Tafuna Airport, with four others in Hawaii. Ashley said the flights to Manu’a will carry about 6-7 passengers due to weight limitations. The airline has a single pilot based in the territory.
To inaugurate its Manu’a flights, the airline has announced a special round-trip fare of $250.
There will be two turnaround flights on Friday, October 3—one to Fitiuta and another to Ofu. The airline originally announced that there will also be two flights on Sunday, October 5, however it moved the flights to Monday, October 6, after receiving input from the Department of Port Administration. The first flight will go to Fitiuta, followed by a second flight to Ofu.
The airline president said they are making good progress in obtaining USDOT approval to operate as a schedule air service. Future plans include flights to Samoa.
The airline has an office on the second floor of the building with Turtle and the Shark on the ground floor. For information on the flights to Manu’a, call 699-9115 or 782-9115.
