The 25-Minute Flight From Apia To Pago Pago

The US territory of American Samoa is separated from Samoa (formerly Western Samoa) by 130 km (80 miles) of the South Pacific Ocean. Many travelers opt for a 25-minute flight between Pago Pago International Airport (PPG) and Apia Faleolo International Airport (APW) to travel between the two cities, compared to the once-weekly ferry, Lady Naomi.

Pago Pago, the capital of American Samoa, located on the island of Tutuila, is reached from the United States by Hawaiian Airlines (HA) direct from Honolulu. The territory is home to a population of around 45,000 people. Samoa, in comparison, is home to approximately 218,000.

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Talofa or Samoa Airways

Two carriers operate the route; however, with Samoa Airways in strife for unpaid taxes, and its website currently down, Simple Flying looked into the competitor, Talofa Airways operations. Headed by Toleafoa Jeffrey Hunter, the carrier commenced operations in 2016, planning to provide more convenient travel options between Samoa, American Samoa, and other Polynesian islands.

Photo: Talofa Airways

Talofa Airways has two Rockwell 690B Turbo Commander, 5W-JMJ and 5W-LOR. It connects Pago Pago and Apia eight times daily, taking off nearly every two hours. Those onboard cross the international date line in flight, with those heading east arriving the day before they took off.

Looking at travel dates in late March, the carrier offers the flight for US $137 one way, including a checked bag of 20kgs (44 lbs). Carry-on is also permitted at 5kgs (11 lbs).

Source: GCMap

Apia's second airport

Apia Fagali'i Airport (FGI) was the second airport for Apia, with most of its Pago Pago operations taking off here. Fagali'i Airport is located 4.6km (2.85 miles) from Apia's city center, compared to Apia Faleolo Airport, which is 29.1km (18.08 miles) from the capital.

Fagali'i has been a bone of contention for locals, with complaints of noise and safety concerns leading to the airport's demise. Fagali'i was closed on December 31st, 2019, and has since been taken over by the Ministry of Police as a vehicle testing and inspection facility.

Photo: MBPilot via Wikimedia Commons

In August last year, Public Enterprises Minister Leatinuu Wayne So’oialo confirmed plans to reopen Fagali'i again for flights to American Samoa. However, these are yet to come to fruition. The government has also mooted plans for an eventual replacement for Fagali'i. This would be in addition to Samoa's main international airport Faleolo, where international flights are available to Auckland, Brisbane, Nadi, Nuku'Alofa, Honolulu, and Sydney (in addition to Pago Pago).

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Trouble at Samoa Airways

Samoa Airways (OL) (formally known as Polynesian Airways), a state-owned carrier, has been reported by the Samoa Observer to owe the Samoan government WS $2 million ($731,000) in unpaid employment tax.

The airline once operated a wet lease Boeing 737-8 from Italian carrier Neos, operating a direct flight to Auckland International Airport (AKL). The airline has three de Havilland Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otters, with one more on order. When questioned by the Samoa Observer about the unpaid taxes, Samoa Airways interim Chief Executive Officer Fauoo Fatu Tielu stated: