When Air Vanuatu went broke in May this year, thousands of locals and tourists were left stranded, and the future of international air travel for the island nation looked bleak. While Air Vanuatu is flying a small selection of inter-island domestic routes, the international travel picture is healthier than ever, with Qantas launching its first flight from Brisbane today.
New Qantas route now open
Vanuatu is in the South Pacific Ocean, around 1,200 miles northeast of Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, also known as Australia’s Sunshine State. Given its proximity to Brisbane, it is surprising that today marked the first time Qantas has flown from there to Vanuatu, although the demise of Air Vanuatu left that door wide open.
Photo: Qantas
Qantas operates the new nonstop route three times weekly from Brisbane, while its low-cost subsidiary, Jetstar, is flying between Sydney and Vanuatu four times weekly. Combined, the two Qantas Group airlines will add more than 150,000 new seats each year between Australia and Vanuatu, making it easier for Australians to experience all the islands offer.
Qantas flight QF159 departed Brisbane Airport (BNE) at 11:46 on Tuesday and, after a flight of 2:14 hours, landed at Vanuatu Port Vila Bauerfield International Airport (VLI) at 14:59. The 2011 Boeing 737-800, registration VH-VZU and MSN 34187, is scheduled to depart Port Vila at 16:10 and be back at Brisbane Airport at 18:15.
Qantas has 75 Boeing 737-800s, and the narrowbody is the backbone of its domestic operations. However, over the next decade or so, they will be progressively replaced by Airbus A321neos, including the longer-range A321XLRs. Today’s aircraft is configured in a two-class layout of 174 seats, including 12 business class and 162 economy seats.
Big boost for Vanuatu
The route will operate on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday and promote tourism and connectivity between Australia and Vanuatu, boosting the local economy and the tourism activities of the broader Pacific region. Qantas Group CEO International Cam Wallace said the airline is thrilled to expand its network by introducing direct flights between Brisbane and Port Vila.
“This new route will maintain connectivity between Australia and the South Pacific, opening new opportunities for leisure and business travel to the region. Vanuatu is a truly remarkable destination, and we are proud to offer our customers more ways to experience its natural beauty.”
There is significant travel between Brisbane and Port Vila for tourism and agricultural workers living in Queensland who travel home to Vanuatu to reconnect with family and friends. Since the demise of Air Vanuatu, Virgin Australia has added more capacity to the route and is now operating seven return services from Brisbane to Port Vila, predominantly using its new Boeing 737 MAX 8s, which fly on domestic and international services.
Photo: Sarah Aktag | Shutterstock
In the last twelve months, Qantas has launched four international routes from Brisbane Airport, which has become Australia’s South Pacific hub. In October last year, the Flying Kangaroo started services from Brisbane to Wellington, the capital of New Zealand and Honiara in the Solomon Islands.
Next month, it is launching nonstop flights from BNE to Manila Ninoy Aquino International (MNL), adding more than 100,000 seats between Australia and the Philippines annually. Qantas already operates a daily service from Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) to Manila, using an Airbus A330 widebody aircraft, the same aircraft that will operate the new route from Brisbane.