Inter Island Airways
| Company type | Privately held company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Airline |
| Founded | August 1993 |
| Fate | Operating license revoked by US Department of Transportation in 2017 |
| Headquarters | Pago Pago , American Samoa |
Area served | American Samoa, Samoa, Pacific region |
| Products | Passenger and cargo air transport |
Inter Island Airways—also referred to as "Inter Island Air"—was an airline headquartered in Pago Pago, American Samoa. It specialized in transporting passengers and cargo across American Samoa, Samoa, and neighboring islands in the Pacific region. Its primary hub was located at Pago Pago International Airport.
In 2017, the US Department of Transportation revoked the airline’s operating license.
History
Founded as a privately held enterprise in August 1993, Inter Island Airways initially operated under FAA Part 135 as an On-Demand Air Taxi service. The company secured its air carrier certification in September 1995 and launched domestic passenger and freight routes connecting Pago Pago on Tutuila Island with Tau, American Samoa in the Manu'a Islands, utilizing two 9-seat Aero Commander aircraft.
The airline halted operations toward the end of 1997 to concentrate on upgrading its facilities and modernizing its fleet, introducing a new 19-seat Dornier 228-212 aircraft in April 1998.
Following the suspension of services by Samoa Air due to financial difficulties, Inter Island Airways recommenced flights in November 2003. It offered domestic cargo transport and on-demand passenger charters between Pago Pago and Tau. After an FAA inspection in December 2004, the airline regained its Air Carrier Certificate for operating within American Samoa.
By January 2005, it had reacquired its Part 135 certificate and broadened its operations internationally by initiating on-demand charter flights between Pago Pago and Apia, Samoa starting June that year. As of July 2007, it held Commuter Air Carrier Authorization; however, its permit to operate flights to Samoa lapsed in January 2009.
The fleet grew with the addition of a 9-seat Britten-Norman Islander BN2B-26 aircraft in February 2005 and another 19-seat Dornier 228-212 by December of that year. In November 2009, a larger 30-seat Dornier 328 was incorporated into service.
Service to the Manu'a Islands was discontinued in November 2013 following mechanical failure of an aircraft; as of August 2014, these operations had not resumed. Due to a lack of scheduled passenger flights for three consecutive years, the US Department of Transportation officially revoked the airline’s authorization in May 2017.
Destinations
Inter Island Airways provided daily passenger flights connecting Pago Pago with:
- Apia/Faleolo International Airport, Independent Samoa (international)
Fleet
| Aircraft | In service | Passenger Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Dornier 228 | 2 | 19 |
| Dornier 328-110 | 1 | 33 |