Samoa Airways mulls fleet replacement program – report
25.08.2023 – 02:11 UTC
The Samoan government is willing to support a fleet replacement program at Samoa Airways (OL, Apia Faleolo), according to a report in the Samoa Observer. The Minister of Public Enterprises, Leatinuu Wayne So’oialo, who oversees the carrier, has asked for a plan on how the fleet replacement program might work.
The small state-owned airline has three 19-passenger DHC-6-300s in its fleet, although the oldest, the 49.7-year-old 5W-STF (msn 402), has not operated since 2021 when it was grounded over corrosion issues. The remaining aircraft, 38-year-old 5W-FAW (msn 827) and 43-year-old 5W-FAY (msn 690), are both in service, according to the report and verified by flight tracking ADS-B data. Both aircraft operate the airline’s timetabled flights between Apia and Pago Pago in neighbouring American Samoa.
Samoa Airways Chief Executive Officer Fauo’o Fatu Tielu says the options include stripping and rebuilding the existing aircraft; acquiring updated versions of the same type, namely DHC-6-300-Gs or DHC-6-400; or opting for another aircraft altogether.
He added that the grounded DHC-6-300, only purchased seven years ago, required…
US further relaxes cap on Chinese carriers
16.08.2023 – 03:58 UTC
From September, seven major Chinese carriers may up the number of their weekly roundtrips to the United States with a further increase allowed from end-October 2023, according to a regulatory filing by the US Department of Transportation (DOT).
Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Xiamen Airlines, Capital Airlines (China), Sichuan Airlines, and Hainan Airlines will be allowed to operate, in the aggregate, up to 18 weekly roundtrip scheduled passenger flights to/from the US from September 1, increasing to 24 from October 29.
This marks a further relaxation of bilateral air service relations between the US and China after the US suspended all scheduled commercial Chinese passenger flights on June 16, 2020, in response to that country’s unilateral ban on March 26, 2020, on all US airlines because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Since December 30, 2022, both parties adjusted the bans through incremental flight increases. From January 8, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) permitted all US airlines to resume from March 26, 2023, the same number…
