In the quarterly performance report from October to December last year for the Samoa Airport Authority recorded a net profit of $4.4m after three Financial Years of operating at a loss due to COVID-19.
This is outlined in a quarterly report released by the Ministry of Public Enterprises.
The Authority’s latest annual report, available publicly for Fiscal Year 2020, indicated that Samoa not only endured a ‘measles epidemic’ in September 2019 that adversely affected tourism and travel but was later devastated by the impact of the ‘covid19 pandemic’ that closed down world travel.
Samoa closed its borders in March 2020 with a Declaration of National State of Emergency (SOE) that was still not lifted as at the end of FY2020.
With the world travel industry still experiencing uncertainty, the current devastation in revenue streams and lack of business opportunities at Faleolo International Airport remain critical and threaten operational viability as a commercial entity at that time.
In the first quarter of FY2023, with the reopening of the borders in August 2022. Passengers increased and were recorded at 38,746, while aircraft movement was 1,177.
Despite the improvement in revenue collection from the reopening of borders, SAA recorded a net loss of ($2.8m) following the revenue and expenditure movement.
