Air Vanuatu adds Port Vila route, Cebu Pacific eyes more flights

Access to island holiday destinations is improving with Air Vanuatu to start a new service between Melbourne and Port Vila.

Port Vila in Vanuatu will soon be easier to get to from Melbourne.

Access to island holiday destinations is improving with Air Vanuatu announcing a new non-stop service between Melbourne and Port Vila, and Cebu Pacific also eyeing off new Australian routes.

The new Air Vanuatu service will be the only direct flight between Melbourne and Port Vila, starting from June 18, with a duration of four to five hours each way. Using the airline’s Boeing 737-800, flights will depart Melbourne on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and return on Mondays, Wednesdays and ­Fridays.

Melbourne Airport chief of aviation Simon Gandy said he was pleased to welcome Air Vanuatu to Melbourne.

“We know the South Pacific ­islands are popular with our travellers, 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,” Mr Gandy said.

Meanwhile, Cebu Pacific is planning new routes following the delivery of its first A321neo from Airbus.

Another 31 of the aircraft are on order, with five more expected to be delivered this year.

Cebu currently operates two routes from Manila to Australia, servicing Sydney and Melbourne, and vice-president Lance Gok­ongwei has previously raised the possibility of adding to that schedule.

His sights could well be set on the west coast, with the A321neo capable of flying the 10-hour distance from Manila to Perth.

In another win for Australian holiday-makers, Qantas has announced more capacity on its Sydney-Bali service by switching to a bigger aircraft.

From March 31, A330s will take the place of Boeing 737s, instantly adding an extra 650 seats a week.

The switch also means lie-flat seats will be available for Business Class passengers on the route, in response to increased demand for premium travel to Bali.

The Indonesian island is one of Australia’s favourite holiday destinations, with visitor numbers increasing every year.

Australian Bureau of Statistics data showed more than 1.2 million Australians visited Indonesia in the year to October, up more than 200 per cent compared to a decade ago.