Air Vanuatu evolution unfolds

A NEW 70-seater ATR turboprop and an interline partnership with Jetstar starting later this month mark a period of evolution for Vanuatu’s national carrier, Air Vanuatu. General manager for Australia & New Zealand, Malcolm Pryor talked travelbulletin through Air Vanuatu’s latest developments and in-market initiatives for the trade at Tok Tok Vanuatu travel exhibition held in Port Vila late last month. The latest addition to Air Vanuatu’s fleet will begin commercial services this month. The ATR72-500 will be the carrier’s second unit and has an additional two seats compared to Air Vanuatu’s five-year old workhorse. According to Pryor, the extra ATR is a big win for the airline, due to its operational efficiencies, and customers. Used primarily on inter-island services, the second ATR72 will enable tweaks to schedules. “We can better cater to meet the arrivals from international services and also avoid changes in gauge, where a customer comes out on an ATR but then on the return leg, because of scheduling, are on a smaller aircraft and suddenly baggage may not be accommodated – this new turboprop gets rid of those concerns,” Pryor explained. “We are in a period of modest growth,” he added. Expansion of Air Vanuatu’s international aircraft fleet from its one Boeing 737-800 is not on the table, “but it’s not impossible to rule out. We are certainly getting good utilisation out of the 737 and it is still performing well.” Pryor said Air Vanuatu was “reasonably happy” with its performance over the past year: “We’ve seen growth on some routes, but not all of them.” The Sydney route has performed on par with expectations, and its weekly Melbourne nonstop service for the Victorian market remains “very important”. Sales from online travel agents – or “e-tailers” as Pryor referred to them – have grown substantially but not to the detriment of bricks-and-mortar travel agencies. “They have added another dimension to the way we sell,” he said. Direct online sales have also grown, with a refreshed and more interactive website generating new interest and bookings. A new interline partnership with Jetstar in Australia opens new gateways where passengers can purchase through-fares on the one ticket. “We will be able to offer more capacity and more fares from other Australian originating points – the catchment area that Jetstar services,” he said.