Air NZ Action Cuts Fresh Tuna Link Of Pacific Islands To USff

Source: TV New Zealand

Two island governments are furious with Air New Zealand for demanding a million dollar subsidy to link with the United States.

The weekly link to Los Angeles via Tonga and Apia, and another via Rarotonga are now in question.

Samoa’s Deputy Prime Minister, Misa Telefoni, says the situation is extremely serious.

”Air New Zealand is basically saying if we don’t subsidize the route by the tune of 4.8 million tala, they are going to stop it,” he says.

The Samoan government is accusing the airline of holding it to ransom over the fee.

The weekly Los Angeles flight is crucial for Samoa’s trade and tourism.

Cutting it will cost the island nation millions of dollars. Fresh chilled tuna, air freighted to the US, will have to come through Auckland, New Zealand.

Samoan Trade Commissioner, Va’atu’itu’i Apete Meredith, says it is ironic the New Zealand government, the main shareholder of Air New Zealand, has been pushing Pacific governments to focus on trade rather than aid.

”And here we have a situation where possibly the New Zealand government will have a hand in terms of stemming that,” Meredith says.

ONE News understands the Cook Islands government, which currently subsidizes its weekly Los Angeles flight by $2 million, has been told this needs to increase to $8 million.

In a statement, Air New Zealand says it has been very open and transparent with Pacific governments about the declining performance of these flights - and the airline is seeking their advice as to whether those flights will be continued.

But furious officials dispute this, saying numbers of passengers on Air New Zealand flights to Apia have nearly doubled in five years. They are now looking to other airlines.

Air New Zealand has given Samoa until the end of next month to decide.