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| Matson
Navigation Company’s newest container ship, the MV Maunawili,
arrived in Hawaii on its inaugural voyage from Long Beach, Calif.
on Sept. 12th. The Maunawili will be used in service between
Hawaii and California. She is the second of two new ships built
for Matson by the Kvaerner Philadelphia Shipyard. Each vessel
cost $110 million. Photo: Courtesy Matson |
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Pacific Wings Won't Fly American Samoa - ADVERTISEMENT -
Citing the lack of local support, Hawaii -based Pacific Wings said in
August that it was withdrawing a federal application to operate American
Samoa's domestic flight. Pacific Wings had already received governmental
approval to launch the flights but still needed FAA approval.
Samoa Air Reveals Debts
Samoa Air says in documents filed in bankruptcy court in California that
it owes around $2 million to 20 of its largest unsecured creditors, including
more than half a million dollars to the American Samoa government for
landing fees, customs charges and taxes. The airline filed on Dec. 12,
2003 for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection from creditors while it underwent
reorganization. As of August only 12 companies and individuals had filed
claims against Samoa Air totaling more than $880,000.
MV Samoa Express Into Dry-Dock
The MV Samoa Express spent early September in dry-dock for annual repairs
including inspection and repair of the rudder and tail-shaft, starboard
and port steering mechanisms and hull. The total cost of the operation
was an estimated $30,000.
Continental To Fly Between Saipan and Taipei
Continental Micronesia has announced plans to introduce non-stop service
between Saipan and Taipei, Taiwan and expand its direct service between
Saipan and Manila. On Wednesdays and Saturdays beginning Nov. 1st, Continental
flight 922, which currently operates non-stop between Taipei and Guam,
will operate from Taipei to Saipan and continue on to Guam. Continental
flight 921 will originate in Guam and stop in Saipan before continuing
on to Taipei.
Tonga And Samoa Seek Fijian Help
Pacnews reports that only a year after Tonga and Samoa asked Fiji not
to manage their flight information region (FRI), the two countries have
come back to Fiji seeking assistance. Pacnews understands that Tonga and
Samoa now want a business venture to be established so that the three
countries can have an equitable share of money from revenues earned. Last
year, New Zealand took over the management of Tonga's and Samoa's upper
and lower air space after they withdrew from Fiji. As a result, Fiji lost
$3 million in revenue.
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No Fond Farewells
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Floyd
K. Takeuchi
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Recent news
reports in Samoa that the government agency that oversees the country's
airports will close Upolu's Fagalii airport were read with great
interest by this frequent traveler. This year, I've flown into and
out of Fagalii six times on Polynesian Airlines' Twin Otters.
The airfield
- and calling it an International Airport, as its formal name notes,
is a stretch - is a throwback to another era in Pacific aviation.
Many of us grew up flying into airports that had been hacked out
of coconut groves by U.S. Navy Seabees in World War II. That is,
if you weren't arriving on a flying boat landing in a lagoon.
Fagalii has
that feel to it - a short airport surrounded by houses and coconut
palms. Arriving from Pago Pago is always a white-knuckle experience.
The Twin Otter flies toward Apia Harbor, then does a sharp left
bank. If you're flying the route for the first time, you swear the
aircraft is headed into a home.
Look out the
aircraft window, and you see the tops of palm trees. Look down,
and you're looking into the back yards of airport neighbors. You
are so close you swear you could pull ie lava lavas off the clotheslines.
Taking off has
its own challenges. The field is so short that aircraft usually
can't accommodate a full load of passengers or baggage. If they
did, they would plow into the homes at the end of the field.
Locals on both
side of the Samoa-American Samoa divide say having all flights use
the larger (and significantly more modern) Faleolo International
Airport will mean better service. Airlines can use bigger aircraft,
which in turn can carry more passengers, baggage and freight. The
only hassle is that Faleolo is a haul outside of Apia, but the ride
into town is one of the most beautiful in the Pacific.
If Fagalii is
shut down, I'll miss it from a distance. But I definitely won't
miss being on a commuter plane as it banks into its landing pattern
for Fagalii. Some things are better appreciated in memory.
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