The airline presently operates short-haul flights within Samoa and American Samoa, however it no longer serves long-haul flights to Australia and New Zealand after the company ceased jet operations in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

[3] The government of Samoa cited rising operating costs for Polynesian Airlines, which accounted for more than half of the government's annual budget, as one of the main reasons for suspending its international operations.

[5] In 2017, the Samoan government announced that it was closing down Virgin Samoa, citing a lack of competitive fare pricing and disappointing performance.

[6][7] In its place, Polynesian Airlines would resume international flights with the new name of "Samoa Airways".

[9] International flights recommenced on 14 November 2017, with Samoa Airways flying from Apia to Auckland.