All 21-house members in American Samoa have co-sponsored a resolution, extending full support of the Fono of the application by Inter Island Airways to the Samoa government to remove certain restrictions Samoa has placed on the carrier's ability to operate in and out of Faleolo airport.
During a House commerce committee hearing early this month, Inter Island's vice president, Barry Sene, told House members that one of the restrictions imposed by Samoa is that Inter island operate just two daily flights.
The U.S. government have expressed concerns, through its embassy in Apia, and is working through the embassy to lift this restriction, which has been in place since last August.
The second restriction for Inter Island is that it's landing rights certificate for Faleolo was only for six months, which expires this summer.
The House resolution says that it should be the mutual goal of the two Samoas to establish a business environment which will ensure the success of all airlines operating the inter Samoa route and neither should provide favor to one or a few by unfairly restricting the operations of another.
Besides supporting Inter Islands call to lifted the landing right restrictions, the resolution also requests Governor Togiola Tulafono to have dialogue with the Samoa government and advocate the removal of the restrictions placed on Inter Island's flights into Samoa.
