Samoa Airways (OL, Apia Faleolo) is evaluating adding a 50-seater aircraft to replace its ageing DHC-6-300s and at the same time, expand its regional network, Minister for Public Enterprise Lautafi Fio Purcell said during a parliamentary debate.

"There are plans in place for a bigger aircraft for 50 passengers and to remove the two smaller aircraft, which have been in service for a while. Those are the plans looking ahead, so we can fly within the region, from here to Tonga, Fiji, Tokelau, and others," the Samoa Observer quoted Lautafi as saying.

The Samoan carrier currently operates three Twin Otters, of which only two are active. They are used to operate services from Apia Faleolo to Pago Pago in American Samoa, as well as domestically within American Samoa from Pago Pago to both Ofu and Fitiuta. The 19-seat aircraft are 40.1 years old on average, the ch-aviation fleets module shows.

Nadi in Fiji and Tongatapu in Tonga, located 1,200 and 885 kilometres from Apia, respectively, are technically within zero-payload range of the Twin Otters but, in practice, cannot be served commercially by this type. Although Lautafi also mentioned Tokelau, the territory does not have an airport and is only accessible by sea.

The airline currently does not have any regional flights to other Pacific island countries other than American Samoa. It uses its sole narrowbody, a B737-800 wet-leased from Malindo Air (Kuala Lumpur International), to connect Apia with Auckland International, Sydney Kingsford Smith, and Brisbane International.

Lautafi pointed out that the airline had many strategic initiatives in the works but had had to confront external challenges over the past year - first, the grounding of the B737 MAX family shortly before Samoa Airways was due to take its B737-9, and secondly, the fourth-quarter measles epidemic in Samoa, which hit tourism and suppressed demand for travel to the country.

One of the options under consideration, albeit in the more distant future, is the addition of another narrowbody aircraft. Lautafi said that with just one largescale commercial aircraft at present, Samoa Airways is prone to cumulative knock-on delays in the event of an AOG (Aircraft-On-Ground) or other disruption. However, at this point, Samoa simply cannot afford another unit. In the long-term, Samoa Airways will aspire to operate two or even three narrowbodies, the minister added.