Air Vanuatu sources part for sole 737 plane following mass flight cancellations

A Pacific national carrier is “working as quickly as possible” to get a part delivered for its only Boeing 737 aircraft capable of international flights. 73 Kiwis are amongst hundreds of tourists stranded after Air Vanuatu cancelled a week's worth of flights earlier this week, right as school holidays kicked off in New Zealand and Australia. Almost 20 international flights have been cancelled or rescheduled, and the airline has pulled in Nauru Airlines to keep its flight paths open.<br/>Jonas George​, commercial manager of the New Zealand arm of Air Vanuatu confirmed to Stuff on Wednesday, that the mechanical part required for its Boeing 737 aircraft had been sourced, and the airline is working to get it to Brisbane, “as quickly as possible”. “In the meantime, we are continuing to do what we can to get travellers where they need to be,” George said. “We are working closely with our partners at Nauru Airlines and expect they will be able to help operate additional services at the end of this week and into next week. We are continuing to assist travellers stuck in Vanuatu with accommodation and meals, and we are keeping the service desk at the Port Vila airport staffed to help answer questions.” George said the airline’s “full refund policy” for affected travellers remains in place, and guests can contact their travel agent or the customer service team to organise a refund or rebooking.<br/>