The United States Department of Transportation has granted 15 American airlines the rights to operate in and out of Samoa.
The department's decision also grants authority to 20 air-cargo carriers to serve Samoa.
Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines Inc. were among the passenger carriers that were issued certificates of convenience to carry people , property and mail to and from Samoa, the Cook Islands, New Zealand and Tonga.
The four South Pacific nations and the United States are signatories to the Multilateral Agreement On the Liberalization of International Air Transportation .
In May, Delta Air Lines was the first U.S. carrier to which DOT granted approval to operate to Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands and New Zealand.
Other airlines granted operating rights in this latest round include Frontier, JetBlue, Spirit and World Airways.
