KEY POINTS:
The Samoan Government upset by Air New Zealand's request for higher subsidies from South Pacific island states to maintain services through their territory to the US States, has approached rival airlines about flying the Samoa-Los Angeles route.
The subsidy requests amounting to millions of dollars threatens the weekly link from Auckland to Los Angeles via Tonga and Samoa, and another via Rarotonga in the Cook Islands.
The airline informed the governments of the three countries that the routes were losing money and that it would only continue to fly them next year if it received financial support.
The Samoa Observer has reported that Air New Zealand is seeking 4.8 million tala, ($3.29m) a year to maintain the Tonga, Apia to Los Angeles route.
Samoa's Deputy Prime Minister Misa Telefoni said he has formally approached Air Pacific and Hawaiian Air about flying the route and had asked Air New Zealand to extend the consultation period until early next year, Radio New Zealand International reported.
Tourism operators in Samoa and Tonga say the cancellation of the weekly service would be a major blow to the industry. And dropping the service would mean that tuna exported to the United States would have to be shipped via Auckland.
Such a move could cost Samoa millions of dollars.
- NZPA
