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As the sun rises on the one-year anniversary of Vanuatu’s reopening to the world, we take a moment to reflect on the significant strides made by the South Pacific island nation. Following an 830-day closure starting from March 23, 2020, brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, the country reopened its borders on July 1, 2022, embarking on a journey to recovery.

Airports Vanuatu Ltd (AVL), the lifeline of the country’s air connectivity, has played a crucial role in this journey. Despite the challenges, AVL successfully welcomed 172,100 international passengers between July 2022 and April 2023 at Port Vila Airport alone, providing a much-needed boost to the local tourism industry and reuniting families separated by the pandemic.

Jason Rakau, CEO of AVL, expressed his gratitude to everyone involved in making this possible. “From a standing start, with minimal international operations for over two years, we have maintained safe and secure operations and welcomed back scheduled air services from Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, the Solomon Islands, and New Caledonia,” Rakau stated. The collective efforts extended beyond Port Vila, with Rakau recently celebrating the relaunch of international operations at Santo Airport in collaboration with Air Vanuatu.

Domestic passenger movements

However, the journey to recovery hasn’t been without its dips. According to AVL’s passenger results for April 2023, 38,600 passengers passed through its airports, down from the peak of 55,000 recorded in December 2022. Rakau attributed this slight dip to the continued effects of the pandemic, coupled with seasonal variations in travel.

Domestic travel, though, provided a silver lining. AVL reported 21,600 domestic passenger movements in April 2023 across its three airports. After a period of stagnation following the arrival of the Omicron variant in March 2022, domestic air travel demonstrated resilience and showed signs of a steady recovery.

International visitor air travel recommenced from the border opening on 1 July 2022. In April 2023, 17,000 international passengers were processed.

Rowland Kalsong, Group Head of Operations at AVL, was optimistic about these developments. “Seat capacity grew steadily within the first three months, starting cautiously as travel restrictions were still in place. Carriers gained confidence and increased seat capacity. In the past couple of weeks, we heard many flights have operated at 100% load, indicating the market could absorb more seats, if only aircraft capacity were available,” said Kalsong.

Looking ahead, the future for Vanuatu seems brighter. The reopening of borders, the resilience of the domestic market, and the people’s determination all indicate a robust recovery from the pandemic’s impact. A year into the reopening, Vanuatu has shown that it’s not just about surviving the storm but learning to dance in the rain.