Peau Vavaʻu
{{Short description|Defunct airline of Tonga (2004–2007)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox airline
| airline = Peau Vavaʻu
| IATA = 3O
| ICAO = PVU
| callsign = PEAU
| founded = {{start date|2004|05|27|df=yes}}
| commenced = {{start date|2004|06|06|df=yes}}
| ceased = {{end date|2007|11||df=yes}}
| bases =
| hubs = {{ubl|class=nowrap
| Haʻapai
| Vavaʻu}}
| fleet_size =
| destinations =
| headquarters = Pacific Royale Hotel, Nukuʻalofa, Tongatapu, Tonga
| key_people = {{bulleted list|
| George Tupou V (Owner)
| Joseph Ramanlal (Owner Director)
| Soane Ramanlal (Secretary)}}
}}
Peau Vavaʻu Ltd (or Air Waves of Vavaʻu) was an airline based at the Pacific Royale Hotel in Nukuʻalofa, Tongatapu, Tonga."[https://web.archive.org/web/20070612110829/http://www.peauvavau.to/contact.html 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" It operated domestic services. Its main base was Fua{{Okina}}amotu International Airport, Tongatapu, with hubs at Lifuka Island Airport and Vava{{okina}}u International Airport.{{cite news | title= Directory: World Airlines | work= Flight International | page= 62 | date= 10 April 2007}}
History
Peau Vavaʻu was formed in May 2004 following the wake of the collapse of Royal Tongan Airlines.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/148802/tonga-gets-a-new-domestic-air-service |title=Tonga gets a new domestic air service |publisher=RNZ |date=26 May 2004 |access-date=12 November 2021}} The airline was 50% owned by Crown Prince Tupouto'a.[http://www.peauvavau.to/history.html Peau Vava'u History (website)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927023109/http://www.peauvavau.to/history.html |date=27 September 2007 }} It began operations on 9 June 2004, using a Douglas DC-3 leased from New Zealand company Pion Air.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/149044/nz-airline-flies-between-tonga's-islands |title=NZ airline flies between Tonga's islands |publisher=RNZ |date=10 June 2004 |access-date=12 November 2021}} In August 2004 the company was awarded a monopoly on domestic air transport under a new "one airline" policy,{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/150189/no-royal-hand-in-choosing-airline,-says-tonga-official |title=No royal hand in choosing airline, says Tonga official |publisher=RNZ |date=17 August 2004 |access-date=12 November 2021}} forcing the competing Fly Niu Airlines to cease operations.{{cite web |url=http://www.pireport.org/articles/2004/09/09/court-ruling-grounds-fledgling-tonga-airline |title=COURT RULING GROUNDS FLEDGLING TONGA AIRLINE |publisher=Pacific Islands Report |date=9 September 2004 |access-date=12 November 2021}}{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/150585/tongan-airline-forced-to-cease-operations-under-one-airline-policy |title=Tongan airline forced to cease operations under one-airline policy |publisher=RNZ |date=8 September 2004 |access-date=12 November 2021}} In August 2004 it announced the addition of a Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander to its fleet.{{cite web |url=http://www.pireport.org/articles/2004/08/24/tonga-airline-get-third-aircraft |title=TONGA AIRLINE TO GET THIRD AIRCRAFT |publisher=Pacific Islands Report |date=24 August 2004 |access-date=12 November 2021}} In November 2004 it added a chartered De Havilland Canada Dash 8.{{cite web |url=http://www.pireport.org/articles/2004/11/08/airline-begins-service-between-samoas-tonga |title=AIRLINE BEGINS SERVICE BETWEEN SAMOAS, TONGA |publisher=Pacific Islands Report |date=8 November 2004 |access-date=12 November 2021}} that same month a test flight to ʻEua Airport overshot the runway, resulting in a flat tyre.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/151925/tonga-air-official-denies-tyre-blowout-report |title=Tonga air official denies tyre blowout report |publisher=RNZ |date=26 November 2004 |access-date=12 November 2021}}
A second DC-3 arrived by Christmas 2004, when Peau Vava{{okina}}u purchased both DC-3s from Pion Air. In March 2005 Peau Vava{{okina}}u arranged to sublease an Air Chathams Convair aircraft from Reef Shipping, which had set up an airline in Niue.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/153585/reef-shipping-to-set-up-airline-in-niue |title=Reef Shipping to set up airline in Niue |publisher=RNZ |date=2 March 2005 |access-date=12 November 2021}} In February 2005 the airline was criticised for the high fares it proposed charging for flights to Niuatoputapu.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/153012/tongan-mp-speaks-out-against-proposed-airfares-to-northern-outer-islands |title=Tongan MP speaks out against proposed airfares to northern outer islands |publisher=RNZ |date=2 February 2005 |access-date=12 November 2021}} In October 2005 the Tongan government threatened to withdraw the airline's monopoly after it had failed to service the Niua Islands.{{cite web |url=http://www.pireport.org/articles/2005/10/28/deadline-expires-struggling-tongan-airline |title=DEADLINE EXPIRES ON STRUGGLING TONGAN AIRLINE |publisher=Pacific Islands Report |date=28 October 2005 |access-date=12 November 2021}}{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/158386/tonga-ponders-allowing-second-domestic-airline |title=Tonga ponders allowing second domestic airline |publisher=RNZ |date=31 October 2005 |access-date=12 November 2021}} The monopoly was finally withdrawn and the "one airline" policy overturned in May 2006.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/161814/tonga-changes-airline-policy |title=Tonga changes airline policy |publisher=RNZ |date=2 May 2006 |access-date=12 November 2021}}
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.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/169770/air-peau-vava'u-plans-resumption-of-tonga-flights |title=Air Peau Vava'u plans resumption of Tonga flights |publisher=RNZ |date=9 May 2007 |access-date=12 November 2021}}{{cite web |url=http://www.pireport.org/articles/2007/04/02/tonga%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%99s-peau-vavau-airline-plans-return-service |title=TONGA'S PEAU VAVAU AIRLINE PLANS RETURN TO SERVICE |publisher=Pacific Islands Report |date=2 April 2007 |access-date=12 November 2021}} However, the airline never flew again,{{cite web |url=http://www.pireport.org/articles/2008/01/24/tonga-airline-peau-vavau-still-sidelined |title=TONGA AIRLINE PEAU VAVAU STILL SIDELINED |publisher=Pacific Islands Report |date=24 January 2008 |access-date=12 November 2021}} and its license was eventually surrendered in January 2008.{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/175616/tonga's-second-domestic-airline-likely-to-start-in-april |title=Tonga's second domestic airline likely to start in April |publisher=RNZ |date=22 February 2008 |access-date=12 November 2021}}
Destinations
Peau Vavaʻu operated scheduled flights to Tongatapu, Haʻapai, and Vavaʻu.{{Cite web |url=http://www.peauvavau.to/schedule.html#flight |title=Peau Vava{{okina}}u Schedules (website) |access-date=13 March 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070218031908/http://www.peauvavau.to/schedule.html#flight |archive-date=18 February 2007 |url-status=dead }}
Fleet
The Peau Vava{{okina}}u fleet included the following aircraft:
- BAe Jetstream 41
- Beechcraft Queen Air
- Douglas DC-3 among the last DC-3 in regular scheduled service worldwide
Code data
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/*/http://www.peauvavau.to/ Peau Vava'u] (Archive)