2 Mar 2005

Reef Shipping to set up airline in Niue

4:50 pm on 2 March 2005

The Auckland based company, Reef Shipping, which has established several operations on Niue in recent months, is now setting up an airline service from the island.

Reef Shipping established a fish processor late last year and is also exporting noni juice from Niue.

Reef Shipping's general manager, Kim Gordon, says they will lease a Convair plane from Chathams Air.

She says Reef Air will be able to carry up to seven tonnes of cargo and some passengers and will provide a valuable service for the fish factory.

"Reef Air's primary focus is to collect fish from the fish processing factory in Niue and transport it to Nadi where it will then be hubbed out to various markets. Its just to support the reef fish processing factory. So Reef Air will start in April to provide that service."

Kim Gordon says the much of their product, such as albacore, will still go by ship to the canneries in Pago Pago.

The Tongan domestic airline, Peau Vava'u, is to sub- lease the plane and when Reef are not using it, it will fly the Tongatapu- Vava'u route in Tonga.