First of Air Vanuatu’s New Twin Otters Arriving in November

By Andrew Curran.

The first of Air Vanuatu’s new Twin Otters is due later this month, according to Finance Minister Johnny Koanapo, and first reported by Vanuatu’s Daily Post. The first DHC-6-300 is due “by the end of November,” and the second in February 2026.

The minister made his comments during his 2026 Budget speech on November 6, 2025. In his speech, Koanapo said the government had signed contracts “to procure two new Twin Otters, and (was) preparing discussions for two more, plus a second ATR.”

In June, Aero South Pacific reported on Prime Minister Jotham Napat saying that his government has set aside VUV1 billion (USD8.32 million) for Air Vanuatu to buy two Twin Otters.

The state-owned airline’s fleet includes a single ATR72-600 and three DHC-6-300s, although the ATR has not flown since early August and one of the Twin Otters has not operated since Air Vanuatu’s pre-liquidation era.

Koanapo did not say whether Air Vanuatu’s new Twin Otters would replace the existing operational DHC-6-300s (which are aged 45.6 and 48.8 years, respectively) or be used to expand the fleet.

He did not disclose any financial details, although Napat had said the aircraft would be purchased rather than leased. Koanapo also did not provide timeline details or any other specifics on the planned additional aircraft, other than noting the second planned ATR would be an ATR42, rather than an ATR72.

Government not resiling from addressing Air Vanuatu's challenges

Meanwhile, the minister said the government wasn’t backing down from addressing Air Vanuatu’s many challenges. Napat has held power in Vanuatu since January after his Leaders Party won the most seats in a snap election earlier in the same month. Koanapo became deputy prime minister at the same time but was already the finance minister. Both men are fixtures in the country’s turbulent politics and leadership churn.

The current government inherited the long-running Air Vanuatu mess, with the previous administration having called in the liquidators in May 2024 after the airline accrued debts it could not service. Among other ongoing issues, Air Vanuatu was having difficulty paying for aircraft parts and maintenance, which remains an on-going challenge and helps explain the current out-of-service aircraft.

Prior to Air Vanuatu's liquidation, it had a B737-800, which it used to operate a small international network. However, the aircraft’s owner, Air Lease Corporation, repossessed the jet over lease defaults while it was undergoing maintenance in Melbourne.

Later in 2024, the liquidators sold the Air Vanuatu to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs shelf company called AV3.

More recently, the Napat administration said it would restart paying back loans taken out last decade from a local pension fund.

“We confronted the crisis at Air Vanuatu head on,” said Koanapo last week. “We backed a turnaround… We are resolving Air Vanuatu’s complex legacy while strengthening the institutions around it… Our goal is simple. Never again should our economy or our people be hostage to grounded aircraft.”

Photo: AI-Generated.