Samoa Air (1987–2003)

This article is about the defunct airline from the US territory of American Samoa. For the airline from the Independent State of Samoa that operated 2012–2015, see Samoa Air.

Not to be confused with Samoa Airways, the flag carrier of Samoa, or with Samoan Airlines, a small US international airline based in American Samoa that operated 1959–1960

Samoa Air was a scheduled and charter passenger airline based in Pago Pago, American Samoa. It operated passenger flights in between American Samoa, Samoa, and Tonga.

Samoa Air

IATA ICAO Call sign SE - -
Founded	1987; 38 years ago (1987)
Ceased operations	September 2003; 22 years ago (2003-09)
Hubs	Pago Pago International Airport
Fleet size	2
Destinations	4
Headquarters	Pago Pago, American Samoa

The airline ceased to operate in September 2003 after failing to lease another aircraft and for bankruptcy protection after having operated since 1987.

History

An airline named Samoa Air started operations in 1985, with flights from Pago Pago to Honolulu using a leased Boeing 707.^[1]

Samoa Air started operations on January 18, 1987, with a single de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft.^[2] In 1990 both the airline's Twin Otters were damaged in Niue by Cyclone Ofa.^[3] In 1996 it was operating Twin Otters between Pago Pago and the Manuʻa Islands, and a Beechcraft King Air to Vavaʻu in Tonga, as well as flights to Apia in Samoa.^[2] In January 1997 it celebrated its 10th anniversary.^[4]

In June 2002 the company announced plans to expand into a regional airline covering all of Polynesia.^[5] In July 2003 it attempted to raise capital for a jet service to Honolulu.^[6] In September 2003 it ceased all operations after failing to lease another aircraft to replace its sole Twin Otter, which was scheduled for maintenance.^[7] After failing to secure further investors, it sought bankruptcy protection in December 2003.^[8] This occurred during a pending lawsuit in the High Court of American Samoa, which was settled on 2 December 2003, by Pratt & Whitney for unpaid rent and damages to leased aircraft engines which they returned with missing parts.^[9] This led them to be charged over $370,000 for the damages to the engines.^[9] At the time of its dissolution in 2003 it did two flights daily to the islands of Manu'a, one daily service to Samoa, and weekly flights to Tonga.^[10]

See also

• List of defunct airlines of the United States