Tumanuvao Evile Falefatu has been appointed as the new General Manager for the Samoa Airport Authority after the Cabinet confirmed the decision on Wednesday.

He is a seasoned staff with the Airport Authority complemented with 10 years of working in senior management posts. He was recommended by the panel which interviewed five applicants for the role.

A Gautavai Primary School alumnus, Tumanuvao continued his tertiary education with Samoa College graduating in 1998 and moving on to the National University of Samoa’s Foundation Year.

After Papaigalagala, he took time out from his education journey to full his religious commitment serving a two year mission for the Latter Day Saints of Samoa.

On his return, he resumed his education at the University of the South Pacific Alafua Campus where he secured a four-year scholarship to attend the Fiji School of Medicine.  He graduated with a Bachelor of Pharmacy and recently completed his Masters in Business Administration.

Tumanuvao’s public service career kicked off with the Ministry of Health in 2009.

Four years later, he switched his career to the civil aviation sector where he has been working as the Manager for Security Services responsible for over 100 staff members for the last 10 years.

Tumanuvao was responsible for safety guidelines during the pandemic.

The panel noted that his Bachelor of Pharmacy degree, although a different discipline covers health security and public health emergencies which will establish the Faleolo International Airport as a safe and secure point of entry for travelers to and from Samoa.

The appointment is for three years.