About: South Pacific Island Airways

South Pacific Island Airways (SPIA) was an airline operating flights in the Pacific including American Samoa and Hawaii with service to the west coast of U.S. and Canada as well as to Alaska, New Zealand, Guam and Tahiti from 1973 to 1987. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded the carrier in 1984, when it almost flew a charter flight into the airspace of the Soviet Union. SPIA was allowed to continue operations after some management changes were made at the airline, but was grounded again in 1985 due to some allegedly questionable dealings involving engine hush kits for its Boeing 707 jetliners. South Pacific continued to operate limited services until it ceased all operations in 1987.