After 26 years without regular air services, Maota Airport has officially reopened, restoring an important air connection between Upolu and Savai‘i and opening new opportunities for tourism, business, transportation and emergency medical access.
The reopening follows the discontinuation of regular flight services in 2000, bringing air connectivity back to Savai‘i after more than a quarter of a century.
Speaking at the official opening, Prime Minister Hon. La‘aulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Fosi Schmidt reflected personally on what the absence of the service had meant for the island.
Speaking as a Savaiian himself, the Prime Minister said he understood the impact the loss of regular flights had had on the people of Savai‘i.
“As a Savaiian, we felt the impact of not having a flight service that was discontinued in 2000.”
The Prime Minister said restoring air services was about creating greater opportunities for Savai‘i and ensuring the island benefited from infrastructure and services available elsewhere in Samoa.
“We need to level the playing field, as the saying goes. What’s good for Upolu is good for Savai‘i.”
“A NEW START FOR SAVAI‘I”
Samoa Airport Authority Chief Executive Officer Faaofonuu Tumanuvao Evile Falefatu described the reopening of Maota Airport as “a new start for Savai‘i.”
The message was echoed in the Prime Minister’s address, which placed particular emphasis on improving tourism, communications and transportation as part of Savai‘i’s future development.
The Prime Minister acknowledged that Savai‘i requires further infrastructure upgrades and said improved connectivity would be important in creating new opportunities for its people and economy.
Maota now provides another convenient transport option between Samoa’s two main islands, complementing the existing inter-island ferry services.
For travellers, businesses and visitors, the restored air service also provides Savai‘i with another gateway for tourism, trade and economic activity, connecting the island more directly with Fagali‘i and Faleolo.
PM ENCOURAGES TOURISM OPERATORS TO COME TO SAVAI‘I
The Prime Minister used the reopening to encourage tourism operators and investors to establish and expand their operations in Savai‘i, pointing to the opportunities created by improved access to the island.
With air services restored, visitors now have another convenient way of travelling to Savai‘i in addition to the ferry.
Flights connecting Maota with Fagali‘i and Faleolo also provide another pathway for tourists and business travellers arriving in Upolu to continue their journey to Savai‘i.
The improved connection is expected to support not only accommodation and tourism operators, but other businesses that benefit from the movement of visitors, people and commerce between the islands.
The Prime Minister said improvements to tourism, communications and transportation represented an important new beginning for Savai‘i.
“MAOTA IS THE FIRST STEP — ASAU IS NEXT”
The Prime Minister also made clear that the Government’s aviation plans for Savai‘i extend beyond Maota.
“Maota is the first step. Asau is next.”
He spoke of plans for Asau Airport and the ambition to restore an international aviation facility in Savai‘i that could provide an alternative to Faleolo International Airport.
The comments position the reopening of Maota as the first stage of a broader push to strengthen aviation infrastructure and connectivity for Savai‘i.
An international airport at Asau could potentially provide another gateway for tourism and economic activity on the island, although further details on the proposed development are expected as planning progresses.
AIR ACCESS COULD SAVE PRECIOUS TIME — AND LIVES
The importance of Maota Airport extends beyond tourism and business.
The Prime Minister highlighted the potential role of the airport in medical evacuations, particularly for critically ill patients who need to be transferred urgently from Savai‘i to Upolu for medical treatment.
The availability of air transportation could substantially reduce the time required to get a patient to the appropriate medical facilities.
The Prime Minister said that for medical evacuations to Upolu, the restored air connection could save precious time and potentially save the life of a person in dire need of urgent medical care.
For families facing a medical emergency, the availability of another transportation option could therefore prove particularly significant when every minute counts.
REGULAR FLIGHTS RETURN
The reopening comes ahead of White Sunday, traditionally one of the busiest periods of domestic travel in Samoa as families travel home to celebrate Lotu Tamaiti.
Regular Samoa Airways passenger services to Maota are scheduled to begin from Friday, 9 October, providing connections between Savai‘i and both Fagali‘i and Faleolo.
Published arrangements include morning and afternoon services between Fagali‘i and Maota from Monday to Saturday, while Sunday services connect Maota with Faleolo.
The airline has announced fares of SAT$120 one way and SAT$240 return, with the scheduled flight between Fagali‘i and Maota taking approximately 20 minutes.
The service provides travellers with a faster alternative between the two islands while complementing Samoa’s established inter-island ferry network.
A HISTORIC MOMENT AFTER 26 YEARS
The official programme at Maota culminates with the ribbon-cutting ceremony and the arrival of the first aircraft as regular air services return following their discontinuation 26 years ago.
The landing carries particular significance for Savai‘i.
For the first time in more than a quarter of a century, the people of the island will once again have regular air connectivity with Upolu — an important addition to Samoa’s domestic transportation network.
For the Samoa Airport Authority, it represents “a new start for Savai‘i.”
For the Prime Minister, Maota represents only the beginning of a wider vision for improving Savai‘i’s transportation, tourism, communications and economic infrastructure.
And speaking as a Savaiian himself, his message at Maota was simple:
“What’s good for Upolu is good for Savai‘i.”
Issued by: Press & Communication Division | Ministry of the Prime Minister and Cabinet – Government of Samoa
