The Tongan government is escalating its fight against illicit drugs by taking control of baggage and cargo management at airports and wharves.
Public Enterprises Minister Piveni Piukala said the move aims to strengthen national security.
Local reporters raised concerns during a press conference last week about the staff and whether they would lose their work, but Piukala confirmed discussions were already underway with key stakeholders, including Air New Zealand.
He described it as a handover scenario where employees would transition directly from their current employer to a new one, understood to be the Tonga Airports and Port Authorities.
He said a six-month transition period would allow the handover of operations from private companies currently handling these services.
Tonga has long struggled with drug smuggling, with airports and wharves serving as major entry points. Criminal syndicates, often from overseas, exploit merchant ships by hiding drugs in cargo or onboard vessels.
Despite government and international efforts to curb trafficking, the local drug trade continues to expand.
Stevedoring services
Three private companies currently provide stevedoring services, loading and unloading cargo from ships at Tonga’s wharves. Their responsibilities include cargo handling, stacking, and securing goods.
A recent Ports Authority Tonga (PAT) report stated that these companies efficiently manage the transfer of goods between ships and the quay, noting:
“There have been no issues with availability or performance, and they work well with the PAT.”
The companies were established following a recommendation from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The PAT report added:
“Ports Authority Tonga supported the ADB’s recommendations to implement a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) as the optimal model for this reform program. The PPP would enable a Tongan-owned company to take over the full management and operations of stevedoring, marshalling, storage, and cargo receipt/delivery at Nuku‘alofa International Port (Queen Sālote Wharf).”
Airport bagging service
Air Terminal Services (Tonga) Limited (ATS) handles baggage and cargo at Tonga’s airports.
In 2024, ATS achieved the highest international recognition by earning the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) certification—the most prestigious award in ground handling safety from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
ATS began the ISAGO registration process in 2019. While the COVID-19 pandemic caused delays, the accreditation—which typically takes two to five years—was successfully completed. Last year, a final audit confirmed ATS’s compliance, leading to the formal presentation of the certificate at a special awards ceremony.
The company is jointly owned by the EM Jones Group, TETA Tours, and Pacific Forum Line—all of which were ground handlers in 2004 when the Tongan government mandated a single Ground Service Provider (GSP) to enhance security for international flights at Fua‘amotu International Airport and Lupepau‘u Airport.
