STAR-BULLETIN FILE
Pacific Wings President Greg Kahlstorf is seeking FAA approval.
Pacific Wings eyeing
American Samoa
PAGO PAGO, American Samoa >> The Maui-based airline Pacific Wings has gotten preliminary approval to start flights here, a move that could ease American Samoa's limited air service.
The territorial government of this island group gave verbal approval for the company to operate domestic service within American Samoa and, later, flights between Pago Pago and Apia, Samoa. Pacific Wings still needs the green light from the Federal Aviation Administration.
"We can begin service as soon as FAA gives approval," said company president Greg Kahlstorf, who will meet with federal aviation officials in Los Angeles on Monday.
For years, Pago Pago-based Samoa Air provided daily flights within American Samoa. But the airline's sole twin-otter aircraft was taken out of service in September. Since then, Samoa's government-owned Polynesian Airlines has run service to Manua island three times a week.
Kahului-based Pacific Wings plans to move two or three of its nine-passenger Cessna Caravan planes to Pago Pago to kick-start its local operations, with plans to add more planes based on consumer demand.
In Hawaii, Pacific Wings services rural locales including Kalaupapa on Molokai and Hana on Maui. Kahlstorf said his fleet of Cessnas is able to land on rugged terrain and would even be able to fly to the islands of Aunuu and Olosega, which have no airports.
The airline says it has not yet determined how many local jobs the new service could generate.
Pacific Wings started up in Nevada in the 1970s and has been flying in Hawaii for nearly a decade. It is the second Hawaii company to announce plans to operate here, after Safari Aviation Inc., which proposed similar routes two months ago.
