NUKU'ALOFA, Tonga -- Royal Tongan Airlines said it has been able to
find seats on other airlines for the majority of the passengers
affected by the shutdown of its international operations.
Some 1,800 passengers had been booked to fly on Royal Tongan
between Tonga and destinations like Honolulu, Australia and New
Zealand when the Tongan government suspended the airline's
international operations, the carrier said in a statement.
The move came after Royal Brunei Airlines, the owners of
cash-strapped Royal Tongan's only plane flying international
routes, repossessed the Boeing-757. Royal Tongan said its domestic
flights remain unaffected.
A spokeswoman for Air New Zealand said the airline provided
affected passengers with discounted one-way fares from Tonga and
Rarotonga to Auckland and Sydney.
In addition to Air New Zealand, Tonga is served by Polynesian
Airlines, Air Pacific and Air Fiji.