Air Vanuatu (NF, Port Vila) plans to resume flights to Aniwa Island and Dillon's Bay in the fourth quarter of 2026, while services to Ipota could restart as early as September, according to reporting from the Vanuatu Daily Post newspaper. Chief commercial officer, Flavio Carvalho, reportedly said all three destinations were being assessed for their return to the domestic schedule.
Ipota is the most advanced, while Aniwa Island and Dillon's Bay still require some manpower preparations, Carvalho added.
The airline plans to operate each route weekly with its DHC-6-300 turboprop, with the option to double the frequency should demand warrant it. The three airfields do not currently have any scheduled commercial flights, based on ch-aviation data.
However, Carvalho said aerodrome readiness and the airline's approval to restart scheduled services were separate processes. Preparations include ground handling arrangements, agent appointments and training, safety and security procedures, and station readiness approval.
“We will not resume operations at any port until it is 100% ready,” Carvalho was quoted by the newspaper as saying. He also downplayed reports that the carrier would resume flights to Aniwa Island on August 9, saying that no service had been scheduled, filed, sold, or crewed for that date.
Hubbed at Port Vila, Air Vanuatu serves 17 destinations in Vanuatu, including Espiritu Santo, Tanna, and Sola. It operates a fleet of five aircraft, consisting of one ATR72-600 and four DHC-6-300s.
