Virgin Australia (VA, Brisbane International) has applied to the Australian International Air Services Commission for authority to commence operations to Samoa. The move comes six weeks after the Samoan government announced that Virgin Samoa (Apia Faleolo) would be ending its joint venture with Virgin Australia effective December 5, citing diminished profitability.
Virgin Australia intends to operate a 5x weekly service using B737-800 aircraft for a total capacity of 880 seats per week, starting November 13. Current capacity on the routes Apia Faleolo to Sydney Kingsford Smith and Apia to Brisbane International is 704 per week.
As previously reported, the Samoan government has signalled that it will turn to Fiji Airways (FJ, Nadi) for technical assistance in re-establishing its own carrier Polynesian Airlines (Apia Fagali'i) following the end of the joint venture with Virgin.
