International flights

The new schedule includes weekly direct flights to Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Nadi, Noumea, Auckland and the new destination of Funafuti in Tuvalu.

The flights are now ready for travellers to book online, through our Sales offices or preferred Travel Agent.

“We are ready to go and have worked diligently with the Vanuatu Government and local tourism organisations to ensure that Vanuatu is reconnected to the world in an ambitious and effective way” said Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Atu Finau.

The health ministry said it will use that time to review border quarantine processes after a new variant of Covid-19 was discovered in the UK.

More than 40 countries have now banned arrivals from Britain after the strain, which is more transmissible but not believed to be more deadly, was confirmed.

According to an advisory to the industry stakeholders, Rakau said “Rest assured that like most airports around the world, we remain first and foremost concerned with protecting the health and welfare of travellers, our staff and the public and reducing opportunities for transmission of communicable diseases. We continue to receive regular updates and advice from the COVID-19 Taskforce, global aviation industry organizations and through Air Vanuatu and our overseas airline partners."

The Munda airfield, which has been developed with tens of millions of dollars of New Zealand aid over the past seven years, is close to completion.

The airport is being developed as an emergency alternate to Honiara and to try and foster tourism in Western Province.

The New Zealand high commissioner to Solomon Islands, Don Higgins, said that over the next couple of months the focus would be on installing navigational aids and ground lighting, and ensuring fire trucks and trained crew were in place.

He said once this was done, Solomon Airlines planned to fly in.