Air Pacific’s test flight on Saturday
By Silafaga Lalua
The Air Pacific’s test flight came on Saturday last week as the airline’s final leg of its negotiation with the government of Tuvalu.
The negotiation will hopefully allow Air Pacific to service the Funafuti/Fiji route, on top of Air Fiji who is currently servicing the route alone.
Secretary of Communications and Transport Tapugao Falefou told Tuvalu news this morning that 23 Air Pacific personnel plus a few from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Fiji Islands arrived on this test flight.
The 23 people all came to talk with different sectors under Tuvalu aviation including the fire brigade, the British Petroleum as well as the tourism department to aide the airline in its report to the government of Tuvalu.
Falefou said that when the idea initialized last November, it was intended for the Air Pacific’s Pacific Sun to service the route, but at the beginning of this year, Air Pacific decided it wants to do it itself, since Pacific Sun is servicing the domestic market in the Fiji Islands.
The benefits of having Air Pacific as an additional flight service provider include the possibility of lower airfares, being in the distribution system, and receiving the commission from every purchased ticket.
For the possibility and impact of Air Pacific pulling out if its Tuvalu market is not satisfactory, Falefou said that it is noted and a plan is already in place, if it gets approved by government, that Air Pacific gives Tuvalu 6 months’ notice, to allow it look for another airline before it leaves.
In the meantime Tuvalu is awaiting the airline’s report that is reported to take around two to three weeks.
The service will actually take place 4 ? 6 weeks after government gives it the nod.
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