Nauru Airlines

In a statement, a spokesperson for the carrier said it is adding Palau to its weekly "island hopper" route.

From November 30, the weekly flights will depart Brisbane on Thursday night, travelling each Friday via Nauru, Tarawa, Majuro and Pohnpei to Palau.

The return flight from Palau departs on Saturday.

Nauru Airlines Chair Dr Kieren Keke said he hopes it will reduce the isolation Pacific nations experience.

Air Kiribati posted the announcement to its social media accounts on August 2, with weekly roundtrips starting on August 11 after operating flights to Kiritimati on an ad-hoc basis since early June.

The 3,200-kilometre sector between the country's capital and its Christmas Island outpost (not to be confused with Australia's Christmas Island territory in the Indian Ocean) is beyond the range of Air Kiribati's single DHC-8-100, DHC-6-400, and three DHC-6-300s.

Nauru Airlines has unveiled its second 800 series freighter plane VH-8TG, 5 August in Brisbane, further modernising Nauru’s aircraft fleet and making Australian aviation history as the first Boeing 737-800 freighter on the Australian register.

A statement confirmed that the new fleet can transport a useable payload of 22 tonnes of cargo for approximately 2,000 nautical miles.

Airline Chairman Dr Kieren Keke said the fleet is now bigger than ever, with six aircraft and a growing fleet focusing on “core, essential services that ensure Nauru is connected to key hubs.”

Nauru Airlines has an operational base in Brisbane.

It states that the 737-800F will expand its cargo capabilities, adding capacity to a fleet which already includes a pair of 737-300 freighters alongside its passenger aircraft.

The airline’s chairman, Kieren Keke, says it enables the carrier to ensure that it “can service the needs of Nauru and the central Pacific”, along with its Australian customers.

Nauru Airlines unveiled the freighter, which has a payload capability of 23.9t, at an event on 5 August.

Nauru Airlines is seeking approval to operate, schedule, and charter flights with people, mail, or property to US territories in the northern Pacific Ocean.

Nauru Airlines wants to fly to the US

Jonah Harris, Jet Jeremiah, and Aiue Harris joined the programme in 2021, while Starsannah Engar later joined the group in 2022.

Since joining, the trainees underwent a cadet induction work experience with the airline on Nauru.

The cadets are currently taking up the 13-month training course and have just completed their induction week at AAPA.

Nauru Airlines Pilot Trainee programme began in March 2020 with Aoki Limen as the first trainee who was recruited internally.

Photo GIO     

The flights had been every two weeks since the resumption of regular service in October.

Nauru Airlines has resumed the only air service that connects Brisbane to Honiara, Nauru, Tarawa, Majuro and Pohnpei.

In addition to going weekly, this island hopper will shift from its current Sunday arrival to being a Thursday-Friday service, according to the airline.

Starting January 5, the air service will link Brisbane with these five countries, with a return along the same route on Fridays.

The flights had been every two weeks since the resumption of regular service in October. Air Nauru has resumed the only air service that connects Brisbane to Honiara, Nauru, Tarawa, Majuro and Pohnpei.

Marianas Variety reports in addition to going weekly, this island hopper will shift from its current Sunday arrival to being a Thursday-Friday service, according to the airline.

The service has been suspended for two weeks.

A total of 337 people have been tested positive for Covid and there are community cases as well. 

“As a consequence of national measures being put in place on Nauru to respond to Covid-19 outbreak. Scheduled passenger services into Nauru have been suspended for the next two weeks, or as further advised.”

“Nauru Airlines puts the health and safety of passengers as its top priority and will implement the highest measures to minimise the spread. Air freight services to Nauru will continue as normal.”

A Government release said there was no exposure between the two flights and the crew on Thursday and Friday, and the plane thoroughly sanitised after passengers cleared the plane on Thursday night.

The release said there were the same pilots on the 31 March flight and the scenic flights; however, they were safely remained and secured themselves in the cockpit for the duration of the scenic flights.

The flight attendants were a new crew and not the ones that worked on the previous flight which resulted in the Covid-positive cases.