Posted at 1:16 p.m., Monday, October 14, 2002
Tongan airline plans Auckland service
Advertiser STaff
Royal Tongan Airlines is introducing a weekly round-trip flight between Honolulu and Auckland, New Zealand, with a stop in Tonga, the airline said today.The service, which begins Dec. 19, marks Royal Tongan's entry into the Hawai'i market. The airline now serves Hawai'i through code-share agreements with Air New Zealand and Polynesian Airlines.
"We just wanted to get connected to the U.S. and services beyond," said Alfred Resch, the airline's general manager for North America, who is based in Honolulu.
The 166-seat Boeing 757 will depart Honolulu at 11:40 p.m. Thursdays and arrive in Tonga Saturdays at 4:40 a.m., with service continuing to Auckland for a 7:30 a.m. Saturday arrival, Resch said. The return flight will arrive in Honolulu at 10:30 p.m. Thursdays, he said.
