Air Vanuatu
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Air Vanuatu
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| Founded | 1981 | |||
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| Hubs | Bauerfield International Airport | |||
| Frequent-flyer program | Qantas Frequent Flyer | |||
| Fleet size | 7 | |||
| Destinations | 33 | |||
| Headquarters | Air Vanuatu House Port Vila, Vanuatu |
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| Key people | Joseph Laloyer (CEO), Captain Yan Nicholls (GM Flight Operations) | |||
| Website | http://www.airvanuatu.com/ | |||
Air Vanuatu is an airline with its head office in the Air Vanuatu House, Port Vila, Vanuatu.[1] It is Vanuatu's national flag carrier, operating to Australia, New Zealand and points in the South Pacific. Its main base is Bauerfield International Airport, Port Vila.[2]
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Contents
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History
Air Vanuatu was established in early 1981 after Vanuatu gained independence from the United Kingdom and France the previous year. The assistance of Ansett Airlines was sought and a five year agreement put in place for Ansett to provide aircraft and operating staff.[3] Ansett also took a 40% stake in the new airline, the government of Vanuatu holding the other 60%.[4] The first Air Vanuatu flight, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-31 owned and operated by Ansett, departed Sydney for Port Vila on 5 September 1981.[3] In May 1982 a Boeing 737-200 of Polynesian Airlines replaced the DC-9; this was replaced in turn by an Ansett 737-200 in October 1985.[5] In March 1986 the agreement with Ansett expired and was not renewed, this had the effect of grounding the airline.[3]
In 1987 the company was re-established with 100% ownership by the government of Vanuatu,[6] after a new commercial agreement was signed with Australian Airlines; weekly Sydney - Port Vila flights re-commenced on 19 December using a Boeing 727-200 chartered from Australian.[3][7] Air Vanuatu subsequently bought the aircraft in 1989 and leased it back to Australian for use on that airline's network on days that it was not used by Air Vanuatu.[7][8] In November 1992 the 727 was replaced by a Boeing 737-400 leased from Australian Airlines.[7][8] The following year an Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante was also leased from Australian, entering service that April to operate flights between Port Vila and Nouméa.[8] The leases on both aircraft continued after Australian was taken over by Qantas in October 1993, with the commercial agreement being rolled-over to Qantas as well.[8] Qantas is deeply involved in the airline's operations to this day; Air Vanuatu uses Qantas' Frequent Flyer program, Qantas codeshares on Air Vanuatu's flights from Australia, and provides maintenance and pilot training services as well.[7]
Air Vanuatu terminated the lease on the Qantas Boeing 737-400 after it took delivery of its own Boeing 737-300 in April 1997.[9] The same month Bandeirante services ceased when a Saab 2000 entered service.[9] The lease on the Saab 2000 was terminated in March 1999 and in June that year Air Vanuatu commenced using a de Havilland Canada Dash 8 of Vanuatu's government-owned domestic carrier Vanair on weekly services to Nouméa.[10] In April 2001 Air Vanuatu merged with Vanair, however the merger was reversed only five months later.[11][12] In November 2003 an ATR 42 entered service for use on domestic routes in competition with Vanair.[13] In September 2004, Air Vanuatu again merged with Vanair.[2]
In January 2008 Air Vanuatu replaced its Boeing 737-300 with a new Boeing 737-800.[14] Three Harbin Y-12s were added to the fleet in early 2009 and in October the same year the airline took delivery of a new ATR 72-500 aircraft to replace its ATR 42.[7][15] Four days after the ATR 72 arrived at Port Vila the Board of Air Vanuatu was sacked and replaced by Director Generals of various Vanuatu government ministries.[16] The ATR 72 made its first revenue flight for Air Vanuatu on 8 November 2009.[17]
Destinations
Domestic
As of November 2009 Air Vanuatu operates 28 domestic routes throughout the country.[18]
Malampa
- Craig Cove (Craig Cove Airport)
- Lamap (Malekoula Island Airport)
- Norsup (Norsup Airport)
- Paama (Paama Airport)
- South West Bay (South West Bay Airport)
- Ulei (Ulei Airport)
Penama
- Longana (Longana Airport)
- Maewo (Maewo-Naone Airport)
- Redcliffe (Redcliffe Airport)
- Sarah (Sara Airport)
- Walaha (Walaha Airport)
Sanma
- Lonorore (Lonorore Airport)
- Luganville (Santo-Pekoa International Airport)
Shefa
- Émaé (Siwo Airport)
- Lamen Bay (Lamen Bay Airport)
- Port Vila (Bauerfield International Airport)
- Tongoa (Tongoa Airport)
- Valesdir (Valesdir Airport)
Tafea
- Anatom (Anatom Airport)
- Aniwa (Aniwa Airport)
- Dillon's Bay (Dillon's Bay Airport)
- Futuna Island (Futuna Airport)
- Ipota (Ipota Airport)
- Tanna (White Grass Airport)
Torba
- Gaua (Gaua Airport)
- Mota Lava (Mota Lava Airport)
- Sola, Vanua Lava (Vanua Lava Airport)
- Torres Islands (Torres Airport)
International
As of November 2009 Air Vanuatu operates six international routes to Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand .[19]
From Port Vila
Australia
- Brisbane - (Brisbane Airport)
- Melbourne - (Melbourne Airport)
- Sydney - (Sydney Airport)
Fiji
- Nadi (Nadi International Airport) [begins 1 July]
New Caledonia
New Zealand
From Luganville
- Australia
- Air Pacific - Nadi and Honiara
- Air New Zealand - Auckland
Fleet
As of November 2009 the Air Vanuatu fleet consists of the following aircraft:[7][20]
- 1 Boeing 737-800
- 1 ATR 72-500
- 1 de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter
- 3 Harbin Y-12
- 1 Britten-Norman Islander
Incidents and accidents
19 December 2008 - An Air Vanuatu Britten-Norman Islander aircraft (Flight NF 261) with nine passengers crashed into a mountain near Olpoi Airport on the western side of the island of Espiritu Santo, killing the pilot and seriously injuring some passengers. The aircraft had been heading to Santo-Pekoa International Airport. The mountainous region where the plane crashed was shrouded in thick fog at the time.[21][22][23]
See also
References
- ^ "Contact Us." Air Vanuatu. Retrieved on 22 June 2010. "Air Rue de Paris Port Vila, Vanuatu"
- ^ a b Flight International 27 March 2007
- ^ a b c d Reid, Gordon. "1988 Major Airline Directory", Australian Aviation magazine, No. 44, May/June 1988, p40. Aerospace Publications Pty. Ltd., Weston Creek ACT. ISSN 0813-0876
- ^ "World airline directory", Flight International 3 April 1982, p815 (online archive version), retrieved 18 November 2009
- ^ Reid, Gordon. "1986 Major Airline Directory", Australian Aviation magazine, No. 33, July/August 1986, p39. Aerospace Publications Pty. Ltd., Weston Creek ACT. ISSN 0813-0876
- ^ "World Airline Directory", Flight International 1 April 1989, p55 (online archive version), retrieved 18 November 2009
- ^ a b c d e f Air Vanuatu - About Us retrieved 12 November 2009[dead link]
- ^ a b c d Reid, Gordon. "Major Airline Directory", Australian Aviation magazine, No. 96, May 1994, p75. Aerospace Publications Pty. Ltd., Weston Creek ACT. ISSN 0813-0876
- ^ a b Reid, Gordon. "Major Airline Directory", Australian Aviation magazine, No. 150, May 1999, p50. Aerospace Publications Pty. Ltd., Weston Creek ACT. ISSN 0813-0876
- ^ Reid, Gordon. "Major Airline Directory", Australian Aviation magazine, No. 161, May 2000, p56. Aerospace Publications Pty. Ltd., Weston Creek ACT. ISSN 0813-0876
- ^ "Vanuatu industry: Air Vanuatu merges with bankrupt domestic carrier" retrieved 18 November 2009
- ^ "Air Vanuatu & Vanair Demerge" retrieved 18 November 2009
- ^ Flight International, 18–24 November 2003, p.15
- ^ "New Air Van CEO" - Vanuatu Daily Post Online retrieved 16 November 2009
- ^ "Air Vanuatu takes delivery of new ATR 72-500" - ATR Media Release retrieved 16 November 2009
- ^ Willie, Royson. "Opposition says high salaries part of Air Vanuatu problems" - Vanuatu Daily Post Online retrieved 13 November 2009
- ^ Garae, Len. "ATR-72, a touch of international class" - Vanuatu Daily Post Online retrieved 13 November 2009
- ^ "Air Vanuatu Domestic Fares Matrix". http://engage.co.nz/Organizations/AirVanuatu/Assets/Files/Air_Vanuatu_Domestic_Fares_Matrix.pdf. Retrieved 2009-11-18.
- ^ a b "Bauerfield Airport International flight information". http://www.vanuatu-hotels.vu/data/resources/87/arrivals.htm. Retrieved 2009-11-18.
- ^ Air Vanuatu - domestic fleet retrieved 12 December 2011[dead link]
- ^ "Vanuatu plane crash injured flown to Brisbane". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2008-12-22. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/12/22/2452286.htm. Retrieved 22 December 2008.
- ^ "Crash: Air Vanuatu BN2P near Olpoi on Dec 19th 2008". Salzburg: The Aviation Herald. 2008-12-21. http://avherald.com/h?article=4121283f. Retrieved 21 December 2008.
- ^ "Few details on cause of fatal plane crash in Vanuatu". Radio New Zealand. 2008-12-22. http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=43829. Retrieved 22 December 2008.
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