As it prepares to launch international services from Apia to Auckland and Sydney, Samoa’s new international airline, Samoa Airways, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Fiji Airways writes Peter Needham for eGlobal Media.

Under the MOU, the airlines will jointly pursue commercial opportunities and partnerships. Fiji Airways will provide initial support – through its established infrastructure in sales, commercial, operations and maintenance – to help launch Samoa Airways’ international services.

“We are happy to play a support role to help reboot Samoa’s international airline”, Fiji Airways’ managing director and chief executive, Andre Viljoen, said.http://travelindustryexpo.com.au/?utm_source=Global%20Travel%20Media&utm_medium=Banners

Samoan Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, said Samoa’s decision to pursue a commercial partnership with Fiji Airways was driven mainly by the critical need to look beyond New Zealand and Australia and open Samoa up to the world. This would be done through Fiji Airways’ long-haul network, which includes direct flights from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Hong Kong, Singapore into Nadi.

Chairman of Polynesian Airlines, Feesago Siaosi Fepuleai, confirmed that with the signing of the MOU, separate commercial and operations agreements would be negotiated between the two airlines which would form part of the overall Pacific Partnership Alliance Agreement between Samoa Airways and Fiji Airways.

“The MOU we signed today gives both airlines a broad and strategic framework of how the Pacific Partnership will be negotiated and finalised”, Feesago stated.

“Under the MOU, there will be specific routes like Samoa to New Zealand and Australia that will be solely managed by Samoa Airways and other routes where both Airlines will jointly manage through codesharing and interlining.”

| An eGlobal Media release  ||  July 28,  2017   |||