In December, I was in New Caledonia for a quick break and needed to get to Brisbane. I chose to fly with Air Vanuatu from Noumea to Port Vila, with a brief layover before continuing to Brisbane.
The island hop from Noumea took about 1 hour and 5 minutes on the airline’s ATR72 aircraft, almost as long as it took me to clear security. The small airport struggles with multiple flights departing close together, leading to some of the longest security lines I’ve ever experienced—55 minutes to be exact.
I made it to my gate just in time for boarding, and we walked out to the aircraft, which was conveniently parked close to the terminal.
INFLIGHT
The crew from Air Vanuatu couldn’t have been friendlier, a stark contrast to my previous experience with Air Calin to Noumea.
About 25 minutes after takeoff, the service began. Given the short flight and lack of ovens on this aircraft, I didn’t expect hot meals.
The two crew members operated one cart each: one for drinks and the other for food. They served a tasty wrap filled with ham and salad, along with a choice of beverages.
The service was completed in about 15 minutes, and they collected rubbish by hand just before landing.
AIR VANUATU CATERING
Upon arrival in Vanuatu, I visited the Air Vanuatu catering center to get an overview of their business and economy class meal services on their larger aircraft.
Most of their meals are imported from their airline caterer Dnata in Australia, as they cannot rely on local produce for the volume required.
However, the airline uses local fruits and vegetables where possible.
In business class, passengers can expect a full meal service, including an entree, main meal, and the usual inflight bar offerings.
The airline has partnered with various local brands such as Aelan chocolate, Tanna Coffee, and local water brands.
PORT VILA TO BRISBANE
After my break in Vanuatu, it was time to continue to Brisbane. Nauru Airlines operated my flight from Port Vila to Brisbane on a classic Boeing 737 with four crew members serving the 2 hour and 40 minute flight.
Twenty-five minutes after takeoff, the inflight service began. Seated in the middle of the aircraft, it took the crew about 15 minutes to reach me.
I was offered a choice of Peri Peri chicken or a Beef Pie.
I opted for the chicken, which came with a pink lamington. The meal trays were not pre-set in the cart; instead, the crew member placed the hot meal on the tray along with the dessert and cutlery.
Once my food order was delivered, another crew member served drinks from a separate cart. Meals were collected by hand about 15 minutes later, followed by another beverage service.
The biggest surprise in economy class was the use of Birchwood cutlery. It’s great to see an airline thinking about sustainability. Although using wooden cutlery felt strange at first—it’s quite dry on the tongue—you get used to it after a few mouthfuls of food.
Overall, my experience with Air Vanuatu was pleasant. The hot meal choices on the flight to Brisbane were appreciated, and most importantly, I found their crew to be friendly and approachable on all flights.
