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Qantas launches new Sydney-Tonga flights on A330 as South Pacific demand soars
By Katherine Scott
Robinson Crusoe Island Manihiki in Tonga's Vav'u Island group.Credit: iStock
Qantas is adding Tonga to its international network, with weekly flights to the tropical destination now available to book.
Tonga reopened its borders to international arrivals on August 1 after being shut since March 2020.
Qantas has been operating government-supported services to the Pacific nation since December 2020, as part of Australia's Pacific Flights Program. The flights have maintained critical passenger and freight links during border closures, however Thursday marks the first time in two years Qantas customers will be able to book direct flights from Australia to Tonga.
Qantas new livery. Qantas photograph
The airline will be operating weekly Thursday Sydney-Tonga services with an A330 aircraft, flying into Nuku'alofa's Fua'amotu Airport.
The introduction of the Tonga services adds to Qantas' growing network of South Pacific destinations, which currently includes Fiji, New Caledonia, New Zealand, and most recently Samoa, whose border reopening coincided with Tonga.
A Qantas spokesperson said its Samoa flights are performing better than anticipated, and they are seeing strong demand across all of its Qantas operated South Pacific services since Australian borders reopened.
"Fiji is 50 per cent higher than pre-COVID demand, Noumea is 13 per cent higher and flights to Samoa are performing ahead of expectations," the Qantas spokesperson said.
"We anticipate the Tonga services will be well-supported by both Tongan nationals and Australians and are excited to help strengthen family and community connections as well as boost tourism opportunities to this beautiful Pacific Island kingdom."
Tonga has maintained a tough border stance throughout the pandemic. There are still a number of strict caveats in place for visitors, who are required to take out travel insurance, present a hard copy vaccine certificate, show a negative supervised COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test taken within 24 hours of departure, and arrange a PCR test within 3-5 days of arrival. Additionally, those who test positive will need to self-isolate for five days at their own expense.
Tonga's border reopening plans were disrupted following the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcanic eruption on January 15. The eruption caused a tsunami which flooded part of Tongatapu and nearby islands, and knocked out internet for the region after an underwater cable was severed. Mobile and internet connectivity has since been restored.
Both Tonga and Samoa said border reopenings would hinge on vaccination rates.
Tonga currently has 72.4 per cent of its population fully vaccinated and around 15,730 confirmed COVID-19 cases, according to World Health Organization data.
See qantas.com
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