20 May 2020

Samoan airline helps ferry Kiribati MPs to parliament

3:26 pm on 20 May 2020

Samoa's Talofa Airways is helping ferry Kiribati MPs to the capital of Tarawa for their first parliamentary sitting.

One of Talofa Airways Twin Commander aircraft

One of Talofa Airways Twin Commander aircraft Photo: RNZI/Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia

Before the Covid-19 lockdown, Talofa Airways was flying between Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga.

According to the Samoa Observer newspaper, the Clerk of the Kiribati Parliament confirmed the chartered Talofa Airways plane had left Apia on Monday.

It was due to make at least four stops to pick up several MPs before Parliament sat today.

Meanwhile 207 Kiribati citizens registered with their government as being stranded overseas and in need of repatriation.

They were registered in Fiji, Solomon Islands, Marshall Islands, USA, New Zealand and Taiwan.

They are reportedly asking for government funding to support them until they can return home.