Boycott of royal backed airline (Royal Tonga)
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Boycott of royal backed airline (Royal Tonga)
Agence France-Presse
Boycott of royal backed airline
By Michael Field in Auckland
November 3, 2003
COMMONER politicians in Tonga today endorsed a boycott of Royal Tongan Airlines (RTA) whose mounting debts are threatening the economic viability of the Pacific kingdom.
"We are telling the people to now stop using Royal Tonga because sooner or later it will die out," leading commoner politician 'Akilisi Pohiva told AFP.
"It is no use spending money for government to keep spending money on that."
The boycott was also in protest at recent changes to Tonga's constitution which limit the freedom of the media and give more power to the near absolute ruler, King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV.
Last November RTA began services six days a week between Tonga and New Zealand using a leased Royal Brunei Airlines Boeing 757.
It also promised a Tonga to Hawaii service but the United States Federal Aviation Agency refused licence.
RTA now flies between Tonga, New Zealand and Australia twice a week and also flies between the Cook Islands and New Zealand once a week.
The deal was organised by Taufa'ahau and the Sultan of Brunei but has caused a severe drain on the government finances in the kingdom of 100,000 people. The Government has not revealed how it is being funded but the main source of money is said to be the Government's Tonga Telecommunications Commission.
Last week commoner politicians in Tonga leaked a report for the Tongan government by the accountancy firm KPMG Financial Advisory Services, which said the airline had forecast a 65-per-cent load factor but it was now running at only 34 per cent.
KPMG said the airline would have to put $US10 million ($14.1 million) - or 13 per cent of the Government's budget - into the airline to keep it flying.
From November to June this year RTA had lost 10 million pa'anga ($6.65 million). The Government's present Budget is 156 million pa'anga.
The king's permanent appointments and nobles control Tonga's parliament. Efforts by commoners, who have about a third of the seats, to win proper accounting of the airline have been unsuccessful.
One commoner MP, Sunia Fili, wrote to Taimi o Tonga newspaper today saying he had advised his extended family "not to fly any more on Royal Tongan" while another, Isileli Polu, appears to have started an informal boycott with an interview with the same newspaper last week.
RTA chief executive Logan Appu did not return calls but he told Television New Zealand last week that there were a lot of set-up costs for a new operation and he asked the Government of Tonga for the money.
Agence France-Presse
=========================================
Boycott of royal backed airline
By Michael Field in Auckland
November 3, 2003
COMMONER politicians in Tonga today endorsed a boycott of Royal Tongan Airlines (RTA) whose mounting debts are threatening the economic viability of the Pacific kingdom.
"We are telling the people to now stop using Royal Tonga because sooner or later it will die out," leading commoner politician 'Akilisi Pohiva told AFP.
"It is no use spending money for government to keep spending money on that."
The boycott was also in protest at recent changes to Tonga's constitution which limit the freedom of the media and give more power to the near absolute ruler, King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV.
Last November RTA began services six days a week between Tonga and New Zealand using a leased Royal Brunei Airlines Boeing 757.
It also promised a Tonga to Hawaii service but the United States Federal Aviation Agency refused licence.
RTA now flies between Tonga, New Zealand and Australia twice a week and also flies between the Cook Islands and New Zealand once a week.
The deal was organised by Taufa'ahau and the Sultan of Brunei but has caused a severe drain on the government finances in the kingdom of 100,000 people. The Government has not revealed how it is being funded but the main source of money is said to be the Government's Tonga Telecommunications Commission.
Last week commoner politicians in Tonga leaked a report for the Tongan government by the accountancy firm KPMG Financial Advisory Services, which said the airline had forecast a 65-per-cent load factor but it was now running at only 34 per cent.
KPMG said the airline would have to put $US10 million ($14.1 million) - or 13 per cent of the Government's budget - into the airline to keep it flying.
From November to June this year RTA had lost 10 million pa'anga ($6.65 million). The Government's present Budget is 156 million pa'anga.
The king's permanent appointments and nobles control Tonga's parliament. Efforts by commoners, who have about a third of the seats, to win proper accounting of the airline have been unsuccessful.
One commoner MP, Sunia Fili, wrote to Taimi o Tonga newspaper today saying he had advised his extended family "not to fly any more on Royal Tongan" while another, Isileli Polu, appears to have started an informal boycott with an interview with the same newspaper last week.
RTA chief executive Logan Appu did not return calls but he told Television New Zealand last week that there were a lot of set-up costs for a new operation and he asked the Government of Tonga for the money.
Agence France-Presse
=========================================
savio3
If you are looking for a job on the twin otter then you should be okay. The domestic arm of the airline will always be there because of demand. So whether running a 757 kills the airline in its current incarnation or not, another will rise in its place because there is financial viability for it. What there is not viability for is a 757. An NG 737 would be near enough to perfect for the job.
As I understand it someone high in the royal household is mates with the sultan or one of his sons hence the involvement with RBA. A loss of face would be involved were they to admit they leased the wrong type of aircraft.
I suspect Polynesian, Air Pacific, Van. Air et. al. are all doing quite well with their 737s.
If you are looking for a job on the twin otter then you should be okay. The domestic arm of the airline will always be there because of demand. So whether running a 757 kills the airline in its current incarnation or not, another will rise in its place because there is financial viability for it. What there is not viability for is a 757. An NG 737 would be near enough to perfect for the job.
As I understand it someone high in the royal household is mates with the sultan or one of his sons hence the involvement with RBA. A loss of face would be involved were they to admit they leased the wrong type of aircraft.
I suspect Polynesian, Air Pacific, Van. Air et. al. are all doing quite well with their 737s.
