Goodbye Ma-60 from Tongan skies
 

Tonga dumps MA60 | Radio New Zealand News

New aircraft for Tonga's national airline could ease NZ safety concerns, boost tourism - Australia Network News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Who's J32's have been brought? AeroPelican/Brindebella's

What if CAANZ finds that its actually a good machine?

Real Tonga J32
 

Just been told it is two of the Pelican trio going to Tonga - confirmation?

From what I've heard, the MA-60 has western engines and a glass cockpit and are not a bad machine. Probably at the only price the Tongans could afford. Now they'll get another half arsed bunch of Kiwis or Aussies trying to tell them how to run an airline and keeping all the profits.

They could get some well maintained Saabs at reasonable lease rates sitting in Townsville..Air Raro know how to make them work?

I think pelican is on the ball

The Ma-60 was never purchased by Real Tonga. It was a gift from the Chinese Government as a testing ground and also to try boosting sales of an aircraft with very poor safety record. By memory more has crashed than what's left in service.
BTW.... what's happenned to the Queenair CIA that had a gear up not long ago?

Slightly different take.

"These two new aircraft that Real Tonga have purchased are additional to the fleet"

Two new aircraft critical for Tonga's recovery | Matangi Tonga

The article referfenced in Lucky Lukes post appears to be trying re write history.

The MA60 wasn't procured because Air Chathams pulled out. Air Chathams pulled out because the MA60 had been introduced and was going to make the Air Chathams operation unviable.

The Tongan government was going into competition with Air Chathams using what was essentially a donated aircraft. Another example of a we can do it better without actually realising how good the deal from Air Chathams was to start with.

Your wrong
 

That aircraft is unsafe, FAA will not certify it and there are many well documented faults with it, if you have ever flown a Y-12 you would know the standard of Chinese aircraft. Tongan got them practically for free, in exchange for exclusive fishing rights and food subsidies, Chinese investment and Tongan government corruption, politicians taking kickbacks... If you had actually operated there you might actually know what your on about.. Pretty easy to shake a big stick from behind a keyboard

Had the misfortune of flying on one of those in Indonesia. It wasn't one of the top ten experiences in my life thats for sure.
They don't have the best safety record, but is that because of pilot error.... or is it actual design flaws?

Because an aircraft does not meet the latest Western certification standards does not automatically render it unsafe. The venerable Fokker F27 would not meet current criteria, but most of us would not hesitate to fly in a well maintained and competently crewed example - sentimental people would probably even enjoy it! The Convair 580 that Chathams operate so successfully would most certainly not meet current standards and it is unlikely that the J-32 replacement would either.

I have a mate who has ferried several MA-60s from the Chinese factory to a couple of African destinations and he reckons it's OK, though hardly his favourite (he loves the old F27 to bits). He's also flown old-tech Russian aircraft and has no problem with their basic design either. The MA-60, Y-12 etc may not be the best that money can buy, but at the prices on offer, they are all that certain economic climates can support. I would still feel safer flying in one of these compared to something like a 40 year old Chieftain.

The problem is that impoverished nations are 'given' these things by the Chinese in exchange for political favours, and they have neither the money nor infrastructure to support any aircraft let alone a complex turboprop. Such countries are not known for high standards in anything - just look at the state of their public road transport vehicles or climb into the engine room of one of their harbour tugs to see neglect elevated to an art form. Money and a certain will is required to safely commit aviation. Give these people a brand new Boeing and they would find a way to break it.

The Convair 580 is back in Tonga...