People on Tongoa Island now have access to air services again following improvement works carried out at Pele Airport.

The development comes after chiefs and community members worked together to restore the condition of the airport, which had previously been deemed unsafe for aircraft operations.

VBTC News understands that a team from the Civil Aviation Authority of Vanuatu conducted an assessment last Friday.

Earlier this week, the authority confirmed that the airport is now safe for aircraft to land, marking the return of an essential service for the island.

This is the first time in months that flights have resumed to Tongoa, with air transport playing a critical role for the community, particularly for medical evacuations from the local health centre to Port Vila.

Chairman of the Navitito Council of Chiefs, Chief Ephraim Matariliu, expressed appreciation to all those involved in restoring the service.

“We thank the airlines for resuming services, especially Unity Airlines and Belair Airlines. We are very happy and truly appreciate everyone who contributed. The work we did together has paid off, and the first flight has now landed.”

The first aircraft to land was operated by Belair Airline Vanuatu, whose owner is from Tongoa Island. The airline had suspended services for several months due to the poor condition of the airport.

The airline has now confirmed that regular services will resume.

The Navitito Council of Chiefs coordinated efforts among stakeholders on the island to carry out the rehabilitation work last year.

“A big thank you to all stakeholders on Tongoa who contributed to the work earlier this month to ensure that services could return to normal.”

Another airline, Unity Airlines Vanuatu, has also confirmed it will begin operating flights to the island.