Qantas is to resume its services to Vanuatu - 16 months after it suspended them over the state of the runway at Port Vila International Airport.
Photo: AFP
Since then there has been extensive temporary rehabilitation work carried out while a full rebuild of the airport is set to start by July.
From 15 June Qantas will resume its codeshare arrangements with Air Vanuatu.
In a statement, Air Vanuatu's chief executive Joseph Laloyer said the partnership with Qantas was greatly valued and extended to maintenance contracts, marketing and ground services.
The announcement has also been welcomed by those in the tourism industry in Vanuatu.
The chairman of the Vanuatu Hotels and Resorts Association Bryan Death said the return of the codeshare should mean an immediate boost in Australian arrivals.
"This is the news we have been waiting on and it couldn't have come at a better time with the current destination marketing campaign running in Australia," he said.
Air New Zealand, which also suspended its services into Port Vila last year in January, has yet to resume regular services into the city although it has operated a few charter services into Vanuatu in the past year.
