The Government of Tonga has banned all foreign carriers from operating to Tongatapu, the country's sole international gateway, at least through September 12, 2020, to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Tourism announced in its newsletter.
The order affects Air New Zealand (NZ, Auckland International), Fiji Airways (FJ, Nadi), and Talofa Airways (Apia Faleolo). Flag carrier Real Tonga Airlines (Tongatapu) currently operates only domestic routes between various islands of Tonga.
Meanwhile, the Government of Fiji is planning to include Tonga in its list of countries covered by the Pacific Pathway plan. Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama said during a media briefing that the government was liaising with its counterparts in Tonga, Tuvalu, and Kiribati to allow their citizens to fly to and from Fiji, where the only WHO-certified COVID-testing facility in the region is. These passengers would still be quarantined for 14 days in Fiji, but could then continue out- or inbound travel to their home countries with COVID-free certificates.
Bainimarama said that Samoa, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu could be included in the second phase of the Pacific Pathway project.