Airline services in Tonga are worse than when the kingdom was served by Real Tonga, it was claimed this week.
Frustrated passengers have been venting their feelings about Lulutai Airlines since Tuesday’s announcement that it was withdrawing its 34 seat Saab 340 aircraft for urgent repairs.
The airline said its 17 seater Harbin Y12 was still flying.
Passengers had already been upset by unexpected delays and cancellations.
Critics said the previous Tu’i’onetoa government had promised better and cheaper services when it took away the license to operate from Real Tonga.
They said these promises were not fulfilled and that services were worse than when Real Tonga was flying.
On January 17 Lulutai sent out this urgent public notice:
“We regret to inform the public that our Saab aircraft must undertake urgent maintenance work, and will therefore be unable to conduct flights beginning Tuesday 17 January, 2023,” the airline said.
“We cannot at this stage estimate how long the maintenance work will take, but we will provide further public notices as more information comes to hand. We are also trying to charter an aircraft from overseas to assist.
“We ask all Vava’u and Ha’apai passengers booked to fly on the Saab to contact the nearest Lulutai Office to arrange a refund for your tickets, or for travel at another date.
“Although our other aircraft, the Y12 is still flying, we kindly ask for your understanding and cooperation as we prioritise passengers travelling for medical reasons, and passengers travelling to connect to international flights. Once again, we apologise for the inconvenience caused, but safety of air travel is our most important consideration.”
While news of the withdrawal of the Saab 340 was not a cause for celebration, the fact that the airline had issued a statement was greeted as a rare attempt by Lulutai Airlines to improve its communication with the public.
Here is how the statement was welcome by a popular group on Facebook known as Tonga Expats and Locals:
“Nice to see communication with the public to stop rumours, a huge blow to outer islands, let’s hope maintenance is swift and ferries can pickup the slack, communication of sched is prompt, book early… Students returning to school etç Clearly an unfolding issue.”
Cancellations
Passengers travelling from the outer islands have faced delays and cancellations in the past.
In December last year Kaniva News reported that flights from Vava’u had been cancelled and that Lulutai airlines had been accused of failing to refund or reapprove passengers whose flights had been cancelled.
Former MP Sunia Manu Fili said at the time that Lulutai airlines was the poorest service ever in the kingdom.
“Ko e maulalo taha eni he fakahoko fatongia ki he fepunaaki ko e kautaha lulutai, ikai ha poto pe taukei”, he said in Tongan.
He accused the national airline of lacking experience and skills.
In November 2021 we reported that the then government had reached an in-principle agreement to sell the national airlines to the privately-owned Flyniu airlines.
For more information
Lulutai Airlines accused of ‘poor services’, failure to refund cancelled flight passengers
Gov’t agrees in principle to sell Lulutai airlines to Flyniu
