American Samoa's Inter Island Airways is a step closer to becoming a regional carrier with the arrival yesterday of its 30 seater 328 Dornier aircraft.
A small welcoming party including Acting governor Faoa Ipulasi Sunia, and Port director Matagi Ray McMoore Laolagi greeted the new aircraft on its arrival at Tafuna International Airport yesterday afternoon.
The Director of the American Samoa Telecommunications Authority Aleki Sene was on board the aircraft along with Executive Vice President of Inter Island Airways Barney Sene.
Barney Sene said it would be three months before the aircraft will be in use.
"It is pressurized so it can go up to 30 thousand feet, speeds are like jet speeds. A good example is the flight from here to Tonga, Nukualofa will be an hour and a half, what we plan to do is go through some of the certification process we need to go with the AFE to put the aircraft on our certificate and once that occurs then we will get authorisation from Niue and from Tonga and we are also looking at Fiji, Suva to fly into there."
Executive Vice President of Inter Island Airways, Barney Sene
