Talofa Airways, Samoa to launch

[Maisk Rotum]

Here is the press release from the Samoa Observer;

Talofa Airways Ltd, soon to make its mark in the region, has acquired two twin Commander aircrafts from the United States of America as it gears up for its official launch. The planes have arrived and are at the Faleolo International Airport.

Speaking to the Samoa Observer yesterday, Airline Advisor, Toleafoa Jeffrey Hunter said the airline is in its final stages and admitted that it has been a “painful process”.

“We already have the local certificate to allow operation,” he said.

“The last part is we are waiting for foreign permit from America and Tonga to allow us to operate scheduled services into those places to American Samoa and Tonga. “Those things can take up to months, it’s just a matter of waiting.” Once the paperwork is sorted, the airline will take off. About the twin Commanders, Toleafoa said the cost is in the “millions”.

“Aeroplanes are expensive and very sensitive equipments,” he said.

“Because of the safety we had to make sure that the plane is air worthy to fly and so that it does not compromise the safety of the passengers. “It’s a nine seater and the route will be Tonga and American Samoa and we can look at expanding depending on the beginning (of operation).”

Once Talofa Airways begins flying it will be the third locally operated airline alongside Polynesian Airlines and Samoa Air.

And this is from savalinews.com;

Owned by aviation baron Toleafoa Jeffrey Hunter and wife Maria, Talofa Airways is looking to start schedule domestic flights in April between Fagali’i, Maota and Asau Savaii initially before expanding to Pago Pago in American Samoa, Tonga and Niue during the second half of the year.


Now here's a coupla questions for anyone who has flown these aircraft; can it realistically operate out of Fagali'i, a 670 metre strip? Big bods in Samoa. Has anyone ever operated these as airliners?