Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Up to one hundred passengers remain stranded at American Samoa’s airport

Posted at 01:25 on 27 December, 2007 UTC

Up to one hundred people are still stranded at Amercian Samoa’s airport after South Pacific Express or SPEX grounded flights to Samoa almost a week ago.

Around five hundred passengers were affected by the suspension of flights after a co-pilot punched a mechanic.

The aircraft’s owners, Freedom Air, fired the co-pilot and recalled the chief pilot and mechanic.

All SPEX flights between Pago Pago and Apia were suspended although some passengers did manage to get a seat on either Inter Island Air or Polynesian.

Our correspondent in Pago Pago, Monica Miller, says Freedom Air hope to resume a full service by next week.

“A lot of people have just given up on their flight plans. Now today South Pacific Express said they will resume flights on Monday, that’s Monday of next week, and you’ll have a new flight crew come down and arriving Sunday night so they plan to resume service on Monday.”