Air Vanuatu recently launched the world’s only international flight to the island of Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu’s largest island and popular holiday destination. The once-weekly flights will see an increase in passenger and freight capacity between Australia and Vanuatu and cuts travel time to Espiritu Santo by two and a half hours for Australians, who previously connected through Port Vila.
Alatoi Ishmael Kalasakau, Prime Minister, Vanuatu said: “These locations have only seen a handful of visitors each year. They yearn for the Australian visitor to take advantage of the beauty that is on display when you come to our country. Of course, 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.”
“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,” commented Brisbane Airport Corporation CEO, Gert-Jan de Graaff. “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.”
Air Vanuatu operates non-stop services between Brisbane and Espiritu Santo every Thursday. Flights are operated by Solomon Airlines on behalf of Air Vanuatu.