Peau Vavaʻu Explained

Airline:Peau Vavaʻu
Iata:3O
Icao:PVU
Callsign:PEAU
Headquarters:Pacific Royale Hotel, Nukuʻalofa, Tongatapu, Tonga

Peau Vavaʻu Ltd (or Air Waves of Vavaʻu) was an airline based at the Pacific Royale Hotel in Nukuʻalofa, Tongatapu, Tonga.[1] It operated domestic services. Its main base was Fuaamotu International Airport, Tongatapu, with hubs at Lifuka Island Airport and Vavaʻu International Airport.[2]

History

Peau Vavaʻu was formed in May 2004 following the wake of the collapse of Royal Tongan Airlines.[3] The airline was 50% owned by Crown Prince Tupouto'a.[4] It began operations on 9 June 2004, using a Douglas DC-3 leased from New Zealand company Pion Air.[5] In August 2004 the company was awarded a monopoly on domestic air transport under a new "one airline" policy,[6] forcing the competing Fly Niu Airlines to cease operations.[7] [8] In August 2004 it announced the addition of a Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander to its fleet.[9] In November 2004 it added a chartered De Havilland Canada Dash 8.[10] that same month a test flight to ʻEua Airport overshot the runway, resulting in a flat tyre.[11]

A second DC-3 arrived by Christmas 2004, when Peau Vavaʻu purchased both DC-3s from Pion Air. In March 2005 Peau Vavaʻu arranged to sublease an Air Chathams Convair aircraft from Reef Shipping, which had set up an airline in Niue.[12] In February 2005 the airline was criticised for the high fares it proposed charging for flights to Niuatoputapu.[13] In October 2005 the Tongan government threatened to withdraw the airline's monopoly after it had failed to service the Niua Islands.[14] [15] The monopoly was finally withdrawn and the "one airline" policy overturned in May 2006.[16]

Flights were temporarily suspended in November 2006 when their corporate headquarters were destroyed during the 2006 Nukuʻalofa riots. Flights were planned to resume in May 2007.[17] [18] However, the airline never flew again,[19] and its license was eventually surrendered in January 2008.[20]

Destinations

Peau Vavaʻu operated scheduled flights to Tongatapu, Haʻapai, and Vavaʻu.[21]

Fleet

The Peau Vavaʻu fleet included the following aircraft:[4]

Code data

PEAU

External links

Notes and References

  1. "Contact Information for Peau Vavaʻu." Peau Vavaʻu. 12 June 2007. Retrieved on 20 January 2011. "Peau Vava'u Limited Pacific Royale Hotel Taufa'ahau Road Nuku'alofa Kingdom of Tonga"
  2. News: Directory: World Airlines . . 62 . 10 April 2007.
  3. Web site: Tonga gets a new domestic air service . . 26 May 2004 . 12 November 2021.
  4. http://www.peauvavau.to/history.html Peau Vava'u History (website)
  5. Web site: NZ airline flies between Tonga's islands . . 10 June 2004 . 12 November 2021.
  6. Web site: No royal hand in choosing airline, says Tonga official . . 17 August 2004 . 12 November 2021.
  7. Web site: COURT RULING GROUNDS FLEDGLING TONGA AIRLINE . Pacific Islands Report . 9 September 2004 . 12 November 2021.
  8. Web site: Tongan airline forced to cease operations under one-airline policy . . 8 September 2004 . 12 November 2021.
  9. Web site: TONGA AIRLINE TO GET THIRD AIRCRAFT . Pacific Islands Report . 24 August 2004 . 12 November 2021.
  10. Web site: AIRLINE BEGINS SERVICE BETWEEN SAMOAS, TONGA . Pacific Islands Report . 8 November 2004 . 12 November 2021.
  11. Web site: Tonga air official denies tyre blowout report . . 26 November 2004 . 12 November 2021.
  12. Web site: Reef Shipping to set up airline in Niue . . 2 March 2005 . 12 November 2021.
  13. Web site: Tongan MP speaks out against proposed airfares to northern outer islands . . 2 February 2005 . 12 November 2021.
  14. Web site: DEADLINE EXPIRES ON STRUGGLING TONGAN AIRLINE . Pacific Islands Report . 28 October 2005 . 12 November 2021.
  15. Web site: Tonga ponders allowing second domestic airline . . 31 October 2005 . 12 November 2021.
  16. Web site: Tonga changes airline policy . . 2 May 2006 . 12 November 2021.
  17. Web site: Air Peau Vava'u plans resumption of Tonga flights . . 9 May 2007 . 12 November 2021.
  18. Web site: TONGA'S PEAU VAVAU AIRLINE PLANS RETURN TO SERVICE . Pacific Islands Report . 2 April 2007 . 12 November 2021.
  19. Web site: TONGA AIRLINE PEAU VAVAU STILL SIDELINED . Pacific Islands Report . 24 January 2008 . 12 November 2021.
  20. Web site: Tonga's second domestic airline likely to start in April . . 22 February 2008 . 12 November 2021.
  21. Web site: Peau Vavaʻu Schedules (website) . 13 March 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070218031908/http://www.peauvavau.to/schedule.html#flight . 18 February 2007 . dead .

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