Vanuatu, Recovering from Quake Damage, to Resume Commercial Flights

Hundreds of Australians have arrived back in Australia from earthquake-stricken Vanuatu as the capital’s airport prepares to reopen for commercial flights.

Additional RAAF planes landed in Brisbane from Port Vila overnight on Sunday with 144 passengers.

Since Wednesday, a total of 568 holidaymakers, workers, and other returnees have been airlifted back to Australia via military flights delivering humanitarian aid.

Following Airports Vanuatu’s announcement, Port Vila International Airport is set to reopen to commercial airline operations on Sunday, providing hope for increased aid and recovery efforts.

The Australian government is collaborating with Qantas, Virgin, and Jetstar to resume flights to Vanuatu.

Qantas and Virgin are operating services from Port Vila to Brisbane on Sunday, while Jetstar has a flight scheduled for Monday on the same route.

Two more final ADF flights from Vanuatu are scheduled for Sunday.

A magnitude 7.3 earthquake hit Port Vila on Tuesday, resulting in at least 16 deaths, over 200 injuries, and extensive damage to the city and its surroundings.

The death toll and injury count are expected to increase as search and rescue efforts continue.

A potential health crisis is looming as aid workers estimate that around 20,000 people on the island lack access to clean water.

UNICEF’s water, sanitation, and hygiene specialist in Vanuatu, Brecht Mommen, warned of the likelihood of illness spreading.

The extent of damage to Port Vila’s water infrastructure is still unclear, with uncertain timelines for repairs.

The latest RAAF flights transported 9.5 tonnes of emergency relief supplies on behalf of organizations like Red Cross, U.N. World Food Program, CARE, Save the Children, and World Vision.

Approximately 1,000 individuals are believed to have been displaced, according to the United Nations.