American Samoa has been awarded 169 thousand US dollars by the U.S. Department of Transportation to improve air services to the Manu'a Islands.
The grant award is made under the Department's Small Comunity Air Service Development Program intended to improve transportation to under served areas.
American Samoa wil use the funds to provide critical ground service equipment at Fitiuta Airport and Ofu Airport in Manu'a, market the Tutuila-to Manu'a route to air carriers, and provide emergency power to the Manu'a airports in the event of a natural disaster.
The American Samoa Government teamed up with the only commercial carrier flying to Manu'a, Inter Island Air, to apply for the funding.
