Fiji Airways granted permission to fly to Tonga

Fiji Airways has been granted permission to operate air services in Tonga.

While signing a Memorandum of Understanding to open up the Tongan market to the national airline, Attorney General and Minister for Civil Aviation Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says the permission to operate air services in Tonga is under the terms of an agreement between the Fijian and Tongan Governments.

Sayed-Khaiyum says Fiji Airways has already been operating a flight within Tonga between the capital, Nukualofa, and the island of Vavau but on a charter basis to the Tongan airline, Real Tonga.

Sayed-Khaiyum says the new agreement allows for this flight to be now designated as a Fiji Airways service with a Fiji Airways flight number and also opens up the possibility of the Fijian national airline operating services to other Tongan destinations and beyond.

He says the Tongan Government has asked Fiji Airways not only to fly domestic routes but also examine the feasibility of operating services between Tonga and Samoa, Niue and the Cook Islands.

He adds Fiji Airways has agreed to assess the Tongan request and will make a commercial decision in the near future.

Meanwhile, Tongan Minister for Civil Aviation, Etuate Sungalu Lavulavu who signed the MOU on behalf of the Tongan Government says his Government was looking to Fiji Airways for help because the existing domestic airline in Tonga was not reliable.