Pacific / Tonga

Tonga's Lulutai Airlines resumes normal flight schedule

12:12 pm on 25 January 2024

In 2022, Tonga experienced the Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai natural disaster, where Lulutai cancelled all flights to for safety reasons. Photo: Facebook.com/PM Press

Tonga's domestic air services are back on schedule as the country's lone airline resumed normal flights from Saturday 20 January.

Lulutai Airways had cancelled local flights to the outer islands of Ha'apai and Vava'u earlier this month following the grounding of its Twin Otter aircraft for repairs.

The airline confirmed the Twin Otter aircraft is back serving the Ha'apai and Vava'u routes, following repairs, while their Y-12 aircraft continues to fly to 'Eua.

Lulutai said they will add additional flights to cater for demand.

Last month, a Lulutai Airlines Saab 340 aircraft slid off the runway at Tonga's Fua'amotu airport and hit a cement block with 35 passengers on board.

The incident is under investigation by the airline and the Ministry of Infrastructure's civil aviation department.