Polynesian Blue to be rebranded Virgin Samoa

The government of Samoa has just revealed a new brand and livery for the country’s national airline, which is operated together with Virgin Australia.

To be known as Virgin Samoa, the carrier will have a “fresh, contemporary and sophisticated look, consistent with its partner Virgin Australia but with a uniquely Samoan flavour,” according to ceo Mark Pitt.

Samoan Prime Minister, The Hon. Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, said that the government’s vision when it entered the Polynesian Blue joint venture in 2005 had been to create a national airline that would be “financially strong and that would provide growth opportunities and financial stability for our country.

“We have achieved these goals,” he said.

The livery features elements such as a palm tree motif on the fuselage and a specially designed ‘tatau’ pattern on the engines, created by a Samoan master tattooist, with the aircraft to enter service with the new look and an upgraded interior in the first quarter of 2012.

“As we now move into an even brighter future as Virgin Samoa we felt it important to include a respectful reference to our culture and our past,” Pitt said.

The new airline’s flights and fares will be detailed in a new website at www.virginsamoa.com but at this stage the site appears to not yet be live.

More information in today’s Travel Daily.