Virgin Australia celebrates return to Apia
Say talofa lava to Apia, Virgin Australia has restarted flights to Samoa for the first time in three years.
Sydney to Apia services have restarted already, and flights from Brisbane will take off on 23 March – with both routes operating up to two return flights a week on the airline’s Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
The first flight back to Apia featured an all-Samoan crew and First Officer, and guests enjoyed a traditional song during the flight, as well as a cultural welcome upon landing.
Virgin Australia Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer Alistair Hartley said: “There is a strong visiting friends and relatives market in Samoa which is why we wanted to mark this occasion with a Samoan crew. It’s an exciting step in the rebuilding of our short-haul international network and comes ahead of our return to Vanuatu later this month.
“Samoa is well-known for its rich culture and friendly locals and has been a popular destination in the Virgin Australia network since 2005.”
Samoa Tourism Authority CEO, Pativaine Petaia-Tevita added: “The return of Virgin Australia flights from Australia to Samoa is wonderful news for the nation, boosting collective efforts to rebuild and recover Samoa’s visitor economy.
“With a diverse flight schedule it means more and more travellers will be able to make their way to us to experience Fa`a-Samoa, our beautiful culture and way of life.”
To celebrate Samoan flights returning, Virgin Australia has launched a 72 hour sale, with airfares from $549.
Virgin Australia’s international short-haul network continues to expand following the relaunch of the airline in November 2020, and now includes Bali, Queenstown, Nadi, port Vila and Apia, as well as Tokyo, which will commence in June 2023.
Visit Virgin Australia to find out more and book your next flight.
