Polynesian Airlines (Apia Fagali'i) is planning to wet-lease an A320-200 from Solomons - Solomon Airlines (IE, Honiara) ahead of its planned resumption of regional services later this year.
The Samoan government said that a recent cabinet meeting had approved plans to deploy H4-BUS (cn 302) onto charter flights flights from Apia Fagali'i to New Zealand and other Pacific island nations beginning in June. The Nadi–Apia Fagali'i–Auckland International sector has been singled out for commercial exploitation in particular.
"Scheduled flights for Polynesian Airlines are expected to start in November, with the expectation of the local carrier to operate direct flights on its own aircraft next year," a government press briefing said.
Founded in 1959, Polynesian Airlines had operated jet flights linking Samoa with Auckland, Wellington, Sydney Kingsford Smith, Melbourne Tullamarine, Nadi, Rarotonga, Papeete, Tongatapu, Niue and Pago Pago regionally as well as Honolulu and Los Angeles International in the United States.
However, with the establishment of Polynesian Blue (Apia Faleolo) in 2005 (now Virgin Samoa (Apia Faleolo)), the carrier scaled back its operations focusing on short-haul flights from its Apia Fagali'i airport hub to Pago Pago in American Samoa alongside domestic ad-hoc charters to Maota Savai'i Island and Asau. It currently also operates flights between the islands of American Samoa.
