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Here we go again — ASG thinking of buying new plane

Director of Commerce Keniseli Lafaele [SN file photo]

The American Samoa Government is thinking about buying a small aircraft to fly between Tutuila and Manu'a.

The Director of Commerce Keniseli Lafaele and a former senator Paepae Iosefa Fiaui travelled to the US last month to look at planes.

Mr Lafaele said while Samoa Airways was now providing flights to Manu'a it still needed its own aircraft in case something happened to the existing service.

He said this was especially true when the territory was depending on a foreign carrier.

The DOC director stressed the trip was exploratory and no firm decision has been made.

The government already owns a Britten Norman Islander, which was leased to a group of businessmen who formed an airline called Tausani Air,

The company received a $US300,000 loan to make the aircraft airworthy but a planned commercial service never got off the ground.