Samoa has reached an important milestone with the recent operationalisation of the new Automated Weather Observing Station (AWOS) at Fagali’i International Aerodrome.
The AWOS is now fully functional with continuous StarLink-supported connectivity, strengthening the availability of real-time aviation weather information across the country.
The development is part of an ongoing collaboration between the Australian Bureau of Meteorology International Development Program, the Samoa Meteorological Service (SMS), and the Samoa Airport Authority (SAA), delivered through the Australia-Pacific Partnerships for Aviation Program (P4A).
The Samoa Meteorological Service said, “operationalisation of this AWOS represents a lasting investment in the safety and resilience of aviation weather services – not only in Samoa but across the Pacific.”
The operationalisation of this system provides the Samoa Meteorological Service (SMS), air traffic controllers, and pilots with accurate, high-resolution weather data to support safe and reliable aviation operations. The station delivers observations through a suite of sensors, including an ultrasonic wind sensor, visibility meter, ceilometer (cloud height), temperature and humidity probe, and precision rain gauge.
The installation of the hardware was followed by several weeks of joint work by SMS, SAA, and Bureau staff to bring the system online and ensure it is integrated into Samoa’s aviation operations.
As part of this process, multiple new displays have been installed to enable visualisation of the aerodrome data at Fagali’i International Aerodrome, Faleolo International Aerodrome, and the Samoa Weather Forecasting Centre headquarters. This ensures that aviation and meteorological personnel across key locations have consistent access to up-to-date information.
The operationalisation of the Fagali’i AWOS represents Australia’s ongoing investment in the safety, reliability, and resilience of aviation weather services in Samoa. Australia, with an AUD$100 million investment through the Australia-Pacific Partnerships for Aviation Program (P4A), is working with its Pacific partners to build a safe, resilient and sustainable aviation sector and support a more connected Pacific.
Press release from the Samoa Meteorological Service, in collaboration with the Australian Bureau of Meteorology and the Samoa Airport Authority.
