While Tonga’s Civil Aviation Division (CAD) and investigators from Australia are still investigating the cause of the A3PUA aircraft accident, at Fua’amotu Domestic Airport a month ago, Lulutai Airlines, so far, has been unable to find a replacement aircraft to service high demand on the domestic inter-island routes during the holiday season.
Travellers to and from the outer islands are relying heavily on the inter-island ferries MV ‘Otuanga’ofa and MV Taka-i-Pomana this holiday season, to travel between Tongatapu, Vava'u, and Ha'apai, after a disruption to the domestic air services on 8 December, when the Lulutai Airlines Saab 340 aircraft was damaged while taxing after landing at Fua'amotu Airport.
A new station at Ha'asini, for the Police and the Fire & Emergency Services, was officially opened by the Prime Minister and Minister for Police Fire Services and Emergency Services, Hon. Hu’akavameiliku, on 28 December.
Lulutai Airline's 19-seater DHC-6 Twin Otter will service the Vava'u and Ha'apai routes over the Christmas holidays, while the other two aircraft in its domestic fleet are out of service. The PM Hon. Hu'akavameiliku said today, that the Civil Aviation Authority of the Ministry of Infrastructure is investigating the incident with the Saab 340 aircraft, last Friday 8 December.