After a three year hiatus, Virgin Australia has resumed direct flights from Australia to Vanuatu.
The resumption of flights from Australia to Port Vila departed Brisbane on Friday, marking the first Virgin flight from Australia to the Pacific island nations since the COVID19 pandemic.
The airline plans to operate up to five flights per week between Brisbane and Port Vila in peak periods, delivering a convenient schedule for leisure travellers.
The addition of the Vanuatu route is part of Virgin Australia's short-haul international network rebuild, coming after services to Samoa and a new Gold Coast to Ball route took off in March.
Virgin Australia Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer Alistair Hartley said the addition of Vanuatu to Virgin Australia's network gave holiday makers greater choice when it came to planning a convenient international getaway.
"This is an important and longstanding connection for Virgin Australia, which started flying between Australia and Vanuatu nearly 20 years ago," he said.
"It means Australians now have another wonderful Pacific Island destination just a short flight away and an opportunity to enjoy the unique beauty and culture of Vanuatu.
"This is also really positive news for Vanuatu which relies on connections like these as a source of tourism and to connect friends and family across the Pacific."
New short haul international services such as Virgin's Brisbane to Vanuatu route will see Virgin Australia grow its international capacity by 50 per cent from FY23 to FY24.
Vanuatu Tourism Office CEO Adela Issachar Aru said visitation from Australian tourists has helped the island nation recover from the impact of the COVID19 pandemic.
"Australian visitation has continued to rise steadily since Vanuatu's borders reopened in July 2022, and greater connectivity to Vanuatu, thanks to Virgin Australia, will help us welcome even more holidaymakers to our shores in 2023 and beyond," Ms Aru said.
"There's so much to explore in Vanuatu, with life-changing adventures to be had no matter what a traveller's interest."
Direct services from Brisbane to Port Vila will operate on the airline's Boeing 737-800 aircraft up to five times a week in peak periods, and up to three times weekly in off peaks.
Ms Aru paid acknowledged the hand Virgin Australia had played in re-establishing Vanuatu's tourism industry following the COVID19 pandemic.
Virgin Australia has always been a valued partner to Vanuatu, and with non-stop flights from Brisbane to Port Vila, it's now even easier for Australians to enjoy Vanuatu's culture and islands, just 2.5 hours from Brisbane," she said.
"We are excited to see more Australians answer the call of Vanuatu and look forward to seeing Virgin Australia's red and purple in our skies again."
Virgin Australia's short haul International network now includes Bali, Queenstown, Nadi, Apia, and Port Vila, with a Tokyo (Haneda) route commencing in June 2023.
