Air Vanuatu adds Melbourne as its third Australian port

Air Vanuatu is heading to Melbourne from mid-June with a three-times-weekly non-stop service that opens up its Port Vila hub to a third Australian destination. The South Pacific carrier already flies to Brisbane and Sydney using a Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The four-hour flight to  Melbourne will operate Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from June 17  and is the only direct service between Vanuatu to the Victorian capital. The service complements daily flights from Sydney to Port Vila and four weekly flights from Brisbane. READ our ratings for Air Vanuatu. The airline plans to codeshare with Qantas and travelers can fly to 28 destinations from Port Vila on the airline’s domestic network. “We know the South Pacific Islands are popular with our travelers, so it’s great to introduce this non-stop flight on a full-service carrier, making the journey easier for people in both Melbourne and Port Vila,’’ said Melbourne Airport chief of aviation Simon Gandy. “The route also creates another entry point into Fiji and Noumea via Vanuatu, another win for holidaymakers.” Air Vanuatu chief executive Derek Nice said the non-stop flights would be conveniently timed to give travelers a longer stay on the islands. The flights depart Melbourne at 7 am and arrive in Port Vila 12: 30 pm local time. They head back at 4: 15 pm and arrive in Melbourne at 8:15 pm local time. Air Vanuatu is a full-service carrier and its fares include checked baggage, inflight entertainment through personal devices, meals and bar service. Its 737-800 has eight business class seats with a 38-inch seat pitch and a width of 21-inches and 162 standard economy seats with a 31-inch seat pitch. Domestic services are operated mainly by 69-seat ATR-500 turboprops with four business seats. The carrier is also increasing flights to and from Auckland, New Zealand from three to six services a week. “Linking Auckland to Port-Vila on Mondays, Wednesday, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays during peak season, these additional services will provide more flexibility for New Zealanders and increase connecting flight options for long-haul travelers,’’ it said.