Fagali’i
Encyclopedia
Fagali'i or Fagali'i-uta is a village on the island of Upolu
in the Samoa
archipelago
approximately 5 kilometres south-east of Apia. It is in the electoral constituency of Vaimauga East (faipule district) which forms part of the larger political district of Tuamasaga
.
The population of Fagali'i is 1,571 (2006 Census).
The former Apia-Fagali'i Airport site and the Royal Samoa Golf Course are both located nearby.
Fagali'i International Airport was previously owned and operated by Polynesian Airlines and the Samoa Government. Fagali'i airstrip - at one time a grass-only airstrip, was reopened on the 6th of July 2002 after the airstrip was re-sealed, only to be de-commissioned in Jan 2005 due to Government and village concerns, allegedly due to safety and noise.
Rumours have since re-surfaced within the aviation community regarding the possibility of having the airstrip re-opened as the country's flag carrier has since downsized to 2 Turboprop DHC 6 Twin Otter aircraft and single BN2 Britten-Norman
Islander. Speculation about reviving the domestic inter-island service to Maota and possibility of re-stimulating regional travel brings hope to the nation's carrier now competing with Inter Island Airways and South Pacific Express who are operating Dornier 228 and Shorts 360 Regional Turbo Prop aircraft on the same route.
The proposal to re-open the airport was controversial and attracted criticism both for the safety and environmental issues with the airport's configuration and for the potential burden on local communities should the scheme fail.
Airlines that have operated from the airport include:
On 1 July 2009, Polynesian Airlines reopened Fagali'i airport and resumed a service that included international flights to Pago Pago, American Samoa
.
Upolu
Upolu is an island in Samoa, formed by a massive basaltic shield volcano which rises from the seafloor of the western Pacific Ocean. The island is long, in area, and is the second largest in geographic area as well as the most populated of the Samoan Islands. Upolu is situated to the east of...
in the Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
archipelago
Archipelago
An archipelago , sometimes called an island group, is a chain or cluster of islands. The word archipelago is derived from the Greek ἄρχι- – arkhi- and πέλαγος – pélagos through the Italian arcipelago...
approximately 5 kilometres south-east of Apia. It is in the electoral constituency of Vaimauga East (faipule district) which forms part of the larger political district of Tuamasaga
Tuamasaga
Tuamasaga is a district of Samoa, with a population of 83,191. The geographic area of Tuamasaga covers the central part of Upolu island....
.
The population of Fagali'i is 1,571 (2006 Census).
The former Apia-Fagali'i Airport site and the Royal Samoa Golf Course are both located nearby.
Airport
Rumours have since re-surfaced within the aviation community regarding the possibility of having the airstrip re-opened as the country's flag carrier has since downsized to 2 Turboprop DHC 6 Twin Otter aircraft and single BN2 Britten-Norman
Britten-Norman
Britten-Norman is a British aircraft manufacturer owned by members of the Zawawi family from the Sultanate of Oman, making it the last remaining UK independent commercial aircraft producer....
Islander. Speculation about reviving the domestic inter-island service to Maota and possibility of re-stimulating regional travel brings hope to the nation's carrier now competing with Inter Island Airways and South Pacific Express who are operating Dornier 228 and Shorts 360 Regional Turbo Prop aircraft on the same route.
The proposal to re-open the airport was controversial and attracted criticism both for the safety and environmental issues with the airport's configuration and for the potential burden on local communities should the scheme fail.
Airlines that have operated from the airport include:
- Polynesian AirlinesPolynesian AirlinesPolynesian Airlines is the national airline of Samoa and has its headquarters in the Samoa National Provident Fund Building in the capital, Apia. It formerly flew all over the Pacific but with the establishment of Polynesian Blue by the government and Virgin Blue , Polynesian Airlines has...
- Samoa AirSamoa AirSamoa Air was a scheduled and charter passenger airline based in Pago Pago, American Samoa.-History:Samoa Air started operations on January 18, 1987, mainly serving the community needs of American Samoa from its base at Pago Pago. Besides interisland flying to communities in American Samoa, the...
- South Pacific Island AirwaysSouth Pacific Island AirwaysSouth Pacific Island Airways was an airline operating services in and around American Samoa from the early 1970s. The Federal Aviation Administration grounded the carrier in 1984, when it almost flew a charter flight into the airspace of the Soviet Union...
On 1 July 2009, Polynesian Airlines reopened Fagali'i airport and resumed a service that included international flights to Pago Pago, American Samoa
American Samoa
American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...
.