Polynesian Airlines

Polynesian Airlines
IATA
PH
ICAO
PAO
Callsign
POLYNESIAN
Founded 1959
Hubs Fagali'i International Airport, Apia
Fleet size 2
Destinations 4
Company slogan Airline of Samoa
Parent company Government of Samoa
Headquarters Apia, Samoa
Key people Taua Fatu Tielu (CEO)
Website www.polynesianairlines.com

Polynesian Airlines is the national airline of Samoa and has its headquarters in the Samoa National Provident Fund Building in the capital, Apia.[1] It formerly flew all over the Pacific but with the establishment of Polynesian Blue (now Virgin Samoa) by the government and Virgin Blue (now Virgin Australia), Polynesian Airlines has restricted itself to shorter flights to neighbouring islands.[2] Its main base is Fagali'i Airport, Apia.

History

A Polynesian Airlines DHC-8-100 at Faleolo International Airport (2007) Polynesian Airlines no longer flies this aircraft. Its present fleet consists of two DHC-6-300 prop planes.

The airline was established in 1959 and started operations in August 1959 with services between Apia and Pago Pago in American Samoa using a Percival Prince aircraft. The government of Western Samoa acquired a controlling interest in 1971. In 1982 Ansett Airlines of Australia signed a five year management contract 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. International jet operations have been taken over by Polynesian Blue. The airline is wholly owned by the Government of Samoa, which also has a 49% holding in Polynesian Blue.[3]

Destinations and fleet

As of April 2015, the airline operates scheduled services between Fagali'i Airport, Faleolo Airport, Maota Airport and Pago Pago International Airport,[4] using a fleet of two de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft with 19 seats each.[1] The airline plans to resume charter flights to New Zealand using a Solomon Airlines aircraft in June 2015. [5]
Earlier aircraft operated by the airline include Douglas DC3; Hawker Siddeley HS 748; de Havilland Canada DHC-8-100; Boeing 737-200; Boeing 737-300; Boeing 737-800; Boeing 727-200; Boeing 767-200; Boeing 767-300 and Britten Norman Islander aircraft.

Earlier route network

Polynesian Airlines previously served the following international destinations: Auckland and Wellington in New Zealand; Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney in Australia; Rarotonga in the Cook Islands; Nuku'alofa in Tonga; Niue; Papeete in French Polynesia; and Honolulu and Los Angeles in the United States on a code share basis with Air New Zealand and in its own right with a leased Boeing 767 – an operation that bankrupted the airline.[6]

Accidents and incidents

Boeing 737-800 at Sydney Airport in 2003.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Polynesian (airline).