Yesterday the South Pacific island of Espiritu Santo was reconnected to Australia’s Brisbane Airport by an Air Vanuatu service operated by a Solomon Airlines aircraft. Espiritu Santo is Vanuatu’s largest island and the flight from Brisbane is the world’s only international flight to the island paradise.
The first flight was off the radar
The Prime Minister of Vanuatu, Alatoi Ishmael Kalasakau, relaunched the service and celebrated by urging Aussies to visit and “experience the wonders of Santo,” adding that the islands “have only seen a handful of visitors each year.” In a heartfelt message, he said:
“They yearn for the Australian visitor to take advantage of the beauty that is on display when you come to our country. Tourism is a vital pillar in our economy, providing employment and small business opportunities and also generating revenue for our communities. We humbly urge you to come and explore Santo.”
The first flight from Brisbane Airport (BNE) departed at 10:51 and, after a 2:12 hour flight, touched down in Vanuatu at Luganville Santo-Pekoa International Airport (SON) at 14:03. The operating aircraft was a Solomons Airlines Airbus A320-200, registration H4-SIB and MSN 2445, that was produced in 2005.
The return flight left Santo at 15:22 and landed in Brisbane at 17:39, with the A320 then operating a service to Honiara International Airport (HIR) in the Solomon Islands and returning to Brisbane. The Santo flight was operated under an Air Vanuatu flight number, whereas the Honiara service was under the banner of Solomon Airlines.
The Brisbane-Santo flight will operate every Thursday and return on the same day to arrive in BNE at 17:10. Brisbane Airport Corporation CEO Gert-Jan de Graaff also welcomed the routes launch, saying:
“With Brisbane the only international airport with flights to Santo, BNE will be the world’s gateway for tourists on their way to this South Pacific paradise. Brisbane is the most connected Australia port to the Southwest Pacific, with direct flights to 13 destinations. We look forward to Queenslanders discovering this little slice of international paradise, which is less than three hours flying time away.”
The neighbors are helping out with their A320
According to ch-aviation.com, Air Vanuatu has a fleet of five aircraft, with just one jet and four turboprops operating its services on international and inter-island routes. The fleet includes one Boeing 737-800, one ATR72-600 and three De Havilland DHC-6-300 Twin Otters, with one of the Twin Otters wet-leased from Solomon Airlines. The Airbus A320 used on the Brisbane to Santo flight is not a wet lease but rather the flight “is operated by Solomon Airlines on behalf of Air Vanuatu.”
Photo: Solomon Airlines
Air Vanuatu acting CEO Joseph Laloyer was another delighted with the new service and said he was grateful for the strong partnerships with the Vanuatu Government (shareholders of the airline), the Vanuatu Tourism Office and Brisbane Airport. He said:
“This service represents Air Vanuatu’s commitment to ensuring connectivity for our guests, as well as to Santo, its residents, and the entire tourism industry in Vanuatu’s north.”
The service adds both freight and passenger capacity between Australia and Vanuatu and cuts the travel time to Espiritu Santo by two and a half hours for Australians, who previously connected through Port Vila.
Have you been on an Air Vanuatu or Solomon Airlines flight? Let us know in the comments.
Source: ch-aviation.com