Polynesian Airlines

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Polynesian Airlines is the national airline of Samoa and is based in Apia, the Samoan capital city. Previously Polynesian airlines flew all over the Pacific but with the establishment of Polynesian Blue by the government and Virgin Blue, Polynesian Airlines has restricted itself to smaller flights to neighbouring islands.

Contents 1 Code Data 2 History 3 Services 3.1 Pre-2005 4 Fleet 5 External links 6 References

[edit] Code Data

• IATA Code: PH
• ICAO Code: PAO
• Callsign: POLYNESIAN ^[1]

[edit] History

The airline was established in 1959 and started operations in August 1959 with services between Apia and Pago Pago using a Percival Prince aircraft. The government of Western Samoa acquired a controlling interest in 1971. Ansett Airlines of Australia signed a five year management contract in 1982 with the government to run the airline. This was extended for a further ten years in 1987. In February 1995 a commercial alliance with Air New Zealand was signed to develop marketing, sales and operational relationships ^[2].

[edit] Services

^{[citation needed]}

The airline offers regional services from its hub in Apia. These include to Pago Pago in American Samoa, Tongatapu in the Kingdom of Tonga and Niue. Polynesian Airlines also continues to operate domestically within Samoa and on code-share to and from Nadi in Fiji.

[edit] Pre-2005

^{[citation needed]}

Polynesian Airlines previously serviced the following international destinations: Auckland and Wellington in New Zealand, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney in Australia, Rarotonga in the Cook Islands, Papeete in French Polynesia and Honolulu and Los Angeles in the United States on a code share basis with Air New Zealand.

[edit] Fleet

The Polynesian Airlines fleet includes the following aircraft at (at August 2006) ^[3] :

• 1 Bombardier Dash 8 Q100
• 2 De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 300

Other aircraft (at July 2006):

• 1 Britten-Norman Islander

[edit] External links

• Polynesian Airlines
• The Age article about new airline

[edit] References

1. ^ Airline Codes November 2006
2. ^ Flight International 12-18 April 2005
3. ^ Flight International, 3-9 October 2006