Nauru Airlines Extends Island Hopper Flights to Clark Airport

Nauru Airlines is extending its island hopper service through to Clark Airport (CRK) in the Philippines. The weekly B737-700-operated service starts today, September 5, 2025, and is a continuation of ON941 which to date, has ended at Koror (ROR) in Palau.

The island hopper service originates in Brisbane (BNE) on Thursday evenings and stops at Nauru (INU), Tarawa (TRW), Majuro (MAJ), Pohnpei (PNI) and Koror. It will now continue onto Clark, just outside Manila, arriving late on Friday afternoon.

The return service, ON942, will now depart Clark early Friday evenings and continue to Koror. The aircraft will overnight there before departing at dawn on Saturday, and flying back through Pohnpei, Majuro, Tarawa, and Nauru. It will get back in Brisbane late on Saturday evening.

The Clark flights come one week after Nauru Airlines started flying between Nauru and Suva (SUV).

“This launch is also a reflection of our broader commitment to regional development,” said Minister for Nauru Airlines Asterio Appi. “Aviation is a powerful enabler. It drives economic growth, supports employment, opens doors to education, healthcare and innovation.”

Nauru Airlines CEO Robert Eoe said the two new destinations represented a strategic shift and expansion but avoided direct competition with other carriers. He said the new routes allowed Nauru Airlines to serve niche markets and maintain consistent service while offering competitive pricing and operational sustainability.

President of the Nauru Chamber of Commerce Sean Oppenheimer said the new routes were a welcome development for the local business community. Hs said it was essential that Nauruans had access to affordable travel and competitively priced cargo options.

Nauru Airlines did not respond to a request for additional comment before the deadline.

The Australian Government’s Pacific Flights Program subsidises the island hopper flights. The program aims to improve connectivity around the Southwest Pacific region and develop trade and tourism. The Marshall Islands Government has also contributes, most recently USD500,000 in September 2024, to help offset any revenue shortfalls.

Nauru Airlines did not respond to a request for additional comment before the deadline.

Aside from its island hopper service, Nauru Airlines operates scheduled passenger services to Kiritimati’s Christmas Island and Nadi. However, Nauru Airlines scaled back its Nauru – Nadi flights to once per week when the Suva flights started.

The airline’s fleet includes two passenger-configured B737-300s, a single B737-700, and one B737-800. It also operates three freighters – two B737-300Fs and one B737-800(BCF), although two freighters are currently inactive.

Until late 2024, Nauru Airlines also operated a weekly Brisbane – Koror round-trip under the Pacific Flights Program. However, it lost that contract to Qantas. After 12 months of operations, Qantas has recently announced it will continue operating the service for another one year.

Qantas said it has experienced strong market demand on the route and Palau was enjoying significant growth in Australian visitation since it began operating the service. In the first six months of 2025, Palau recorded a 113% increase in visitor arrivals compared to the comparable 2024 period, with Australian travellers playing a big role in the increase in visitor numbers.  

Photo: Nauru Airlines.