Air Vanuatu Twin Otter delivery overdue

By Andrew Curran.

The first of two DHC-6-300 Twin Otters expected by Air Vanuatu by the end of 2025 has failed to arrive despite a mid-December social media post by the Prime Minister’s office promoting the expected delivery date.

“The first (Twin Otter) aircraft is scheduled to arrive in (the) country on the fourth week of December,” reads a December 19, 2025, 'aviation update' from the Vanuatu Tourism Office. “The second (Twin Otter) aircraft is scheduled to arrive in (the) country by the end of Q1 2026.”

Prime Minister Jotham Napat reposted the update on the same day on his official Facebook page.

The first decent post-liquidation investment in Air Vanuatu

Six months ago, Aero South Pacific reported that Napat and his government had set aside VUV1 billion vatu (USD8.2 million) for Air Vanuatu to buy two Twin Otters.

“This investment reflects our commitment to ensuring our people have access to reliable air services,” Napat said at the time.

Air Vanuatu’s existing pair of aging DHC-8-300s are consistently going out of service, mostly due to maintenance and spare parts issues. Currently, only one is active. Additionally, Air Vanuatu’s sole ATR72-600 has sat idle since August, although the tourism office’s update says the aircraft may return to service sometime this month “subject to the delivery of the spare engine.”

Air Vanuatu’s only jet, a B737-800, was repossessed by Air Lease Corporation shortly before the Vanuatu Government decided to liquidate its airline in May 2024. Later that year, Air Vanuatu was sold to a government shelf company and relaunched as a small-scale domestic operator.

The acquisition of the two Twin Otters is the first serious capital investment in the airline since the relaunch.

Recently, Vanuatu Government social media accounts have posted images from the production facility of a near completed Twin Otter in Air Vanuatu livery. However, its serial number (msn) remains unverified and the images do not show any registration details.

“Both aircraft will add additional capacity and frequency on key routes of covering ports like Norsup (NUS), Longana (LOD), Walaha (WLH), Sola (SLH), Laman Bay (LNB), and Craig Cove (CCV),” the tourism office’s post added.

Aero South Pacific has contacted the tourism office for comment.

The post adds that Air Vanuatu will continue to rely on Air Calédonie and Solomon Airlines to provide some of the inter-island services formerly provided by Air Vanuatu, including flights to Tanna (TAH) and Espiritu Santo (SON). Air Vanuatu is also exploring a maintenance and training partnership with Air Calédonie.

Vanuatu keen to develop aviation links with China

Meanwhile, China Southern Airlines hasn’t committed to expanding its services to Vanuatu’s Port Vila Airport (VLI) despite conducting a trial flight last year.

However, Vanuatu Tourism Office CEO Adela Issachar Aru recently held "productive" meetings with China Southern and another airline while at the China International Travel Mart in Haikou shortly before Christmas.

“Aru also engaged with Hainan Airlines to explore the potential of Vanuatu being considered as a future flight destination given past proposals of interest,” the tourism office said.

The Vanuatu Tourism Office, in conjunction with another unnamed Pacific nation, also intends to conduct a promotional roadshow through Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou later this year.

Vanuatu is heavily dependent on tourism and experienced a big drop in visitor numbers due to a series of unfortunate events, including Covid-19, the liquidation of Air Vanuatu, and 12 months ago, a magnitude 5.2 earthquake that caused massive damage.

While Australia and New Zealand have traditionally (and still do) made up the bulk of the tourist traffic, Vanuatu, like other small South Pacific nations, is keen to tap into Chinese market, and has been busy deepening its relationship with China.

China is busy trying to expand its influence in the region and is receptive to overtures from small South Pacific countries like Vanuatu. China has shown an openness to doing deals that offer short term benefits for the recipient nation but long-term payoffs for China.

Photo: Air Vanuatu.

Contact the writer: andrew@aerosouthpacific.com