Brisbane Airport adds flights to new ‘bucket-list’ destination

Brisbane Airport is set to add another international destination to its inventory, with flights to the tiny north Pacific nation of Palau to begin this month.

Nauru Airlines will operate the six-hour flights between Brisbane and Palau, internationally regarded as one of the world’s premier diving destinations, from May 21.

Penny Wong and Palau’s President Surangel Whipps jnr in 2022. Australia and Palau have announced a new non-stop flight service.

Palau President Surangel Whipps jnr said the “Palau Paradise Express” flight would be a vital link for the tiny nation of just 18,000 people, about 2250 kilometres north of Darwin.

It had been facilitated through the federal government’s $100 million Australia-Pacific Partnerships for Aviation Program, commonly referred to as P4A, which Whipps jnr said had opened a “new level of co-operation” between the two nations.

“Our combined efforts up to this point have laid the groundwork to realise new opportunities,” he said.

“This next phase with Nauru Airlines connects us to other nations within the South Pacific and Micronesia. We appreciate the chance to work with our Pacific family to find ways to ensure we prosper together.”

Palau is regarded as one of the world’s great diving destinations.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said, through P4A, Australia was partnering with Pacific nations for a “safer, more resilient and sustainable aviation sector”.

“Australia has heard the calls from Pacific leaders for deeper connections and easier movement around the region, and is working to improve access, mobility and migration opportunities,” she said.

Last month, Wong announced a new Pacific Engagement Visa, which would allow 3000 citizens of Pacific nations, along with Timor-Leste, to migrate as permanent residents every year. That program would be open to Palauans.

Brisbane Airport chief executive Gert-Jan de Graaff said the new service showed Brisbane was Australia’s “premier gateway to the Pacific”, with 14 destinations in the region.

“[The new service] also invites adventurers to embark on a seamless journey to one of the region’s most inviting destinations,” he said.

“It’s now a very easy place to add to your bucket list.”

Flights will depart Tuesdays at 11.30pm and return Thursdays at 5.30am on a Boeing 737. Nauru Airlines will operate the flight until October 31, at which point eligible Australian, Pacific and Asian airlines would be invited to participate in a limited tender to operate the route through to October 2025.

There have been calls for a flight curfew to be introduced at Brisbane Airport to deal with increased noise since the parallel runway opened in 2020, with the Greens pushing for flights to stop at 11pm. Such a curfew would not allow for the new Palau flights.

An Aircraft Noise Ombudsman submission to a Senate inquiry into aircraft noise noted a curfew had been in operation at Sydney Airport for years.

“These measures significantly ameliorate the impacts of aircraft noise,” the Ombudsman said.

In Brisbane City Council’s submission to the same inquiry, deputy mayor Krista Adams said aircraft noise was a “complex issue”.

“I recall the former member for the federal seat of Griffith, Kevin Rudd, made this issue a regular part of his re-election campaigns, yet was unable to resolve it, even as prime minister,” she said.

“It’s of great concern that this matter has been highly politicised once again, particularly by the Greens, in the lead-up to the federal election and I urge the committee to carefully consider and have regard to this in their deliberations about the future of the Brisbane Airport.”