Samoa’s Talofa Airways suspends flights over COVID-19

Talofa Airways (Apia Faleolo) has suspended scheduled services until Samoa reopens its borders, the airline confirmed to ch-aviation by email. According to ch-aviation schedules module, the privately-owned carrier has cancelled rotations on its triangular network normally run between Tongatapu (Tonga), Apia Fagali’iA (Samoa), and Pago Pago (American Samoa). All international services by the only other Samoan airline, Samoa Airways (OL, Apia Faleolo), remain grounded until March 31, 2021, or until further notice, according to a notice on the company’s website. The state-owned airline has stopped flying internationally since Samoa closed its international borders on March 25, 2020. According to its website, it does offer limited domestic services between Apia and Maota Savai’i Island (Samoa); Pago Pago and Ofu (American Samoa); and Pago Pago and Fitiuta (American Samoa). However, according to Flightradar24 ADS-B data and the ch-aviation fleets advanced module, its three DHC-6-300s have been inactive and stored at Apia for the past few months. In response to the emergence of new strains of COVID-19, Samoa’s international borders remain closed under a State of Emergency, except for returning citizens and residents, or where specific permission is granted. Most international flights have been cancelled, and options to leave are extremely limited, the Samoan Ministry of Health website shows. According to a statement issued on February 5, the government has approved a limited schedule of repatriation flights to New Zealand, Australia, the US, Canada, Alaska, Europe, and Asia on a case by basis between April 17 and June 18, 2021. Tough new travel restrictions imposed include medical clearance and a negative PCR test 72 hours before arrival into Auckland Int’l, New Zealand, repeated PCR tests if in transit for more than 32 hours, a blood serology antibody test, and 14-21-day quarantine for most travellers arriving from Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Island countries and US territories (except American Samoa). Travellers from the United Kingdom and South Africa have been banned from Samoa due to new strains of the virus identified in those countries. All travellers who have had COVID-19 in the past six months are banned from Samoa.