NZ suspends tourism aid to Tonga as it accepts "unsafe" Chinese aircraft

[Mattg]

Tonga loses NZ aid over use of suspect Chinese aircraft - Australia Network News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

"The New Zealand Government is suspending millions of dollars in tourism aid to Tonga over concerns about the safety of its domestic airline service.

Over the past weekend, Tonga was gifted a Chinese-made Xian MA60 for its domestic Real Tonga airline by China.

But it is an aircraft with one of the world's worst safety records, as New Zealand's Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully pointed out to TVNZ.

"There are real concerns about a plane that has been imported in the last few days." he said.

It prompted New Zealand to suspend tourism funding to Tonga, and may lead to a travel warning being placed on the Government's website.

"Until all of the safety certification is undertaken to a high standard we have got things on hold," the foreign minister said.

Since 2009, MA60 aircraft have been involved in 11 incidents, including three of them in the last two months."


This has been in the news in New Zealand (and, I believe, Tonga) for the past couple of days. It will be interesting to see if the loss of around $3 million in NZ aid will be enough to persuade Tonga not to accept delivery of 2 multi-million dollar (gifted) aircraft from China.

 

[samh004]

Had a brief look at Wikipedia... seems that they're not used by any major (or I've heard of) airlines, and the issue seems to be a brake failure with Myanma Airlines, and perhaps the Merpati incident this year simply landed short and hard.

I'm not sure why NZ is too worried about the use of the aircraft, they can simply blacklist them from flying to NZ if they want to make a point.

Considering they're free, the $3 million in NZ aid hardly compares to the cost of a new ATR or Dash 8

 

[jetlagger]

After knowing about the usage & accident in Philippines & I would NEVER fly in a MA60.
Far too spartan in Nav. & safety standards for my likings, without giving slight mention to the underpowered engines for the often max. payloads. :evil:
Good luck to Tonga..

 

[eric2011]

I'm not sure why NZ is too worried about the use of the aircraft, they can simply blacklist them from flying to NZ if they want to make a point.

I think NZ's stance is a statement more about warning NZ's travelling to Tonga (Tonga is a huge tourist spot for NZers) about the safety of the aircraft which flies to outer islands rather than worrying about them flying into NZ and as an ex NZer I actually think its a good statement

 

[BAM1748]

I think it might be the funding use to promote people to go there and fly. Not a good look to pursued people to go there and some of them get killed, the family come on TV and they say my mum loved the ad and so decided to go.

I agree with the NZ govt. The repercussions could be more than it's worth.

If Tonga takes the plane/s then I'm sure they know what their doing. :shock::shock:

 

[FlashKiwi]

Warning on flying domestically in Tonga

The NZ Government is warning its citizens flying domestically in Tonga it will be at their own risk as the national airline has bought the Chinese built MA-60 which has been involved in numerous crashes. See Xian MA60 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

It is going to make it very difficult to get to Ha’apai and Vava’u as the only other planes RealTonga seem to fly is the smaller Y-12 (with a similar safety record......)

I seem to remember that they used to fly a DC3 on some routes. I am pretty sure (but may be wrong) that we flew a Britain Islander to Ha’apai and back in 2003 (and we had to be weighed before getting on).

The Chinese seem to 'donate' there planes to despot third world countries (read Zimbabwe) and other poor countries in return for 'diplomatic favours' (Tonga's fishing rights and Zimbabwe diamonds for example).

Link to article - Warning issued over Tongan aircraft - National - NZ Herald News

FlashKiwi

 

[NM]

Re: Warning on flying domestically in Tonga

Please continue this discussion on the original thread on this topic:

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....news/nz-suspends-tourism-aid-tonga-52060.html

 

[ozbeachbabe]

The NZ Government is warning its citizens flying domestically in Tonga it will be at their own risk as the national airline has bought the Chinese built MA-60 which has been involved in numerous crashes. See
Xian MA60 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

It is going to make it very difficult to get to Ha’apai and Vava’u as the only other planes RealTonga seem to fly is the smaller Y-12 (with a similar safety record......)

I seem to remember that they used to fly a DC3 on some routes. I am pretty sure (but may be wrong) that we flew a Britain Islander to Ha’apai and back in 2003 (and we had to be weighed before getting on).

The Chinese seem to 'donate' there planes to despot third world countries (read Zimbabwe) and other poor countries in return for 'diplomatic favours' (Tonga's fishing rights and Zimbabwe diamonds for example).

Link to article - Warning issued over Tongan aircraft - National - NZ Herald News

FlashKiwi

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....rning-on-flying-domestically-tonga-52955.html

I know of another South Pacific nation who received 3 x Y12's from the Chinese in a 'buy 2 get 3 deal'. Despite all 3 aircraft being brand new, all three a/c had wiring issues in that instruments eg navigation systems that were meant to work didn't however they'd all been installed as per the operator manual.

The manufacturer refused to believe there was a problem as it was installed as per the operator manual so the only way to fix the problem was for the receiving airline to ask for a special customer option so their engineers could rewire all aircraft so the instruments finally worked as they were meant to.

 

[elbarto]

Ugh.. why can't the Chinese get it right? They can't get an aircraft certified which is effectively a design 'borrowed' from McDonnell Douglas.

 

[NM]

Here is another report on the same subject;
Aircraft at centre of spat between Tonga and NZ | Australian Aviation Magazine

A Chinese-built regional aircraft operating in Tonga is at the centre of an ongoing diplomatic row between the island nation and New Zealand.

The MA60 – a derivative of the Antonov 24 regional turboprop – has been cited by the New Zealand government as being unsafe and has pulled tourism aid to Tonga until the aircraft is grounded. New Zealand travellers to Tonga have also been warned not to fly on the aircraft.

 

[BAM1748]

Here is another report on the same subject;
Aircraft at centre of spat between Tonga and NZ | Australian Aviation Magazine

With the money saved on buying decent aircraft they can spend that on tourism ads. I agree with the NZ Govt.

Matt