Samoa Air (Apia Faleolo) has announced plans to redevelop the island of Samoa into a regional hub. Among the first steps taken towards the goal is the signed of a joint-venture agreement with Kiribati's Coral Sun Airways (Tarawa).
Under the terms of the deal, announced in late January, the carriers will offer weekly flights from Tarawa to Apia Faleolo via Funafuti in Tuvalu beginning in March. Service is on-board a Beech (twin turboprop) King Air 200.
The two carriers hope to expand the service to other South Pacific islands such as Niue, Fiji, the Northern Cook Islands, with possible scheduled services to Tonga in the pipeline as well.
To help increase demand for the flights, Coral Sun will be offering charters to Canton Island and Kiritimati as an extension of its existing domestic services within Kiribati.
