The new runway lights at Sālote Pilolevu Airport in Ha’apai were officially activated and inaugurated by Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku and Australian High Commissioner to Tonga HE Brek Batley.
The Australian Government funded this $1.8 million project, which was carried out by Tonga Airports Limited in partnership with the Australian airport lighting company, Valupa.
With these newly installed lights, the Ha’apai islands will be more accessible at any time, facilitating critical medical evacuations and boosting tourism opportunities.
This development follows an incident in 2015 where a Real Tonga Airline flight at Ha’apai airport nearly ended in tragedy, reportedly due to differences in the interpretation of the aircraft airspeed indicator by the pilot and co-pilot.
According to the report at the time, the pilot’s airspeed indicator suggested it was time for takeoff, but the co-pilot’s instrument indicated otherwise, causing the plane to swerve and nearly hit the airport fence.
Josh Tatofi concerts in Nuku’alofa
Renowned Tongan-Hawai’i based and Grammy-nominated musician Josh Tatofi is set to perform a free concert in Tonga next Tuesday evening, August 20, at the ‘Atele Indoor Stadium.
The event is a segment of Tatofi’s South Pacific tour, encompassing visits to American Samoa, Samoa, Australia, and New Zealand.
The concert is made possible thanks to the generous support of corporate sponsors such as Friends Cafe, Five Star, Tonga Tourism Authority, Tonga Communications Corporation, Tali’eva, Office Equipment, and Tonga Water.
The Nuku’alofa concert admission is complimentary, offering local enthusiasts an exclusive opportunity to enjoy Tatofi’s live music performance.
US$1.9 million grant for firefighting trucks from Japan
Tonga Fire & Emergency Services will receive firefighting trucks donated by the government of Japan.
It includes two pumper trucks, two water tanker trucks, and three pickup trucks, totaling a US$1.9 million grant.
The Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku signed the NPGA grant at his office in the St. George Government building in Nuku’alofa this morning
This grant was announced by Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a summit meeting with PM Hu’akavameiliku on the sidelines of the 10th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM10) held in Tokyo last month.
Internet cable repair service underway
The Cable Ship Lodbrog, working to fix Tonga’s damaged fibre optic cable, has identified part of the cable which was damaged apparently by a recent earthquake.
Reports said the ship has found the northern end of the damaged cable and is currently attempting to locate the southern end attached to Tongatapu.
The repairs to the domestic telecommunications submarine cable are expected to be completed by this Friday, August 16.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Communication previously said it appeared the cable had been broken by a recent earthquake near the Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai volcano.
It was detected 73-96 km from Tonga’s main island of Tongatapu and northwest of Haapai islands.
The Ministry has a spare section of cable about 60km long which it hopes will cover the damage.
“If not, we have to wait to give time to manufacture new cables”, the Ministry said.
