The first passenger flights to Samoa touched down at Faleolo International Airport yesterday afternoon, after over two years' suspension.
Air New Zealand's flight 990 carried the first tourists into Apia on Tuesday, with the borders opened to international visitors for the first time since March 2020.
Qantas' Brisbane service was hot on its heels, landing late at 18:30.
All tourists were welcomed warmly. The pandemic has had a huge impact on the country's travel and tourism industry, so they were eager to showcase Samoa's beautiful landscape and all it has to offer.
Air New Zealand said their flight was "booked-out", mostly with Samoans and travellers from the international Agia looking to reunite with their loved ones.
The four hour flight was a moving celebration, with musical performances greeting passengers at Auckland, in Arrivals at Apia and even mid air from Air New Zealand crew.
At one point passengers joined in singing national hymns on approach Faleolo International, on what might be the most musical flight out of Auckland.
Most musical flight in the Pacific: Cabin crew passengers and performers celebrated the return to Apia. Photo / Supplied
The Samoan Tourism Authority and the airport put on welcoming shows to greet both planes.
We haven't seen people walking off our air bridges since almost 2019," said Pativaine Petaia-Tevita the newly appointed CEO of the Samoa Tourism Authority, who was there to greet passengers.
"We hope to have a lot more after the Qantas flight today." She said that the island had been gettin ready, restarting businesses, planting trees and gardening to make sure the islands were at their most welcoming for the arrivals.
Minister for tourism in Samoa, Toeolesulusulu Cedric Pose Schuster said he was "very excited."
"It's been a long time to having free travel again. It shows how many of our diaspora have been wanting to come back. It's also great to see our borders open and have international visitors back again."
"The past two years has been getting ready to reopen safely, so it's great to see air passengers."
A troupe of Samoan dancers greeted travellers to Auckland International Departures. Photo / Supplied
For Samoan air crew with family on the islands it was also an emotional moment, too.
Air New Zealand flight attendant and "proud Samoan" Jireh Lalotoa Peniata said it was a flight he had been waiting a long time for.
"Knowing that we will finally be able to reunite families with their loved ones after so long is extra special."
Samoa is one of the last Pacific Island countries to reopen to foreign travellers. Tahiti and Fiji were welcoming back tourists as early as last year.
The country took a more cautious public health approach following an epidemic of Measles in 2019, which was traced back to a flight through Auckland Airport. When the WHO declared sars2-cov-2 a pandemic Samoa was quick to shut down travel.
Apia had avoided widespread cases of Covid-19 until March this year, by which time around 90 per cent of the island had received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
However, this strict travel shutdown has cost the island much of its international travel infrastructure.
Samoa Airways will be absent from New Zealand airspace, after filing for bankruptcy in 2021. The local airline said it would no longer be flying long-haul with the borders reopening in August. They will still be running an air and cargo link to neighbouring American Samoa.
