AV3 ATR aircraft to fly again by end of February

February 11, 2026 10:17 pm | Posted in Business News | Share now TwitterFacebook

By Doddy Morris.

AV3, formerly Air Vanuatu before entering liquidation, expects its ATR 72-600 aircraft to return to service by the end of this month following prolonged maintenance issues that have affected key domestic routes.

The ATR 72-600 operates critical services between Port Vila, Espiritu Santo, and Tanna, forming the backbone of Vanuatu’s domestic air network. Since late 2025, technical problems with the ATR fleet have forced the airline, now operating as AV3, to rely on wet-leased aircraft from Air Calédonie to maintain essential services.

According to a source within the Vanuatu aviation sector, AV3 engineers have been running the aircraft engines and inspecting key components in preparation for the arrival of a replacement engine component.

“They have been running the engines and checking components to make sure everything is ready for the arrival of the replacement engine. I was told the engine will arrive soon, possibly via an Air Nauru aircraft once it reaches Brisbane,” the source said.

The source added that the delays prompted the Chairman of the Board to send an engineer friend from North America to investigate the situation, and that the combined efforts of AV3’s engineering team and government shareholders have now “finally borne fruit.”

Public Relations Officer (PRO) at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Kiery Manassah, confirmed that the government had received assurances from the airline regarding the aircraft’s return to service.

“AV3 – We have received information from the airline that the plane should be flying by the end of this month. It is a component of the engine, not the entire engine. I might not be correct, but the assurance we received is that the plane should be back in service by the end of this month,” Manassah said.

Air Vanuatu entered liquidation in 2024, with its operations later restructured under the name AV3, although many in the public still refer to the airline by its former name.

AV3 is currently in a rebuilding phase, with the government exploring options to strengthen the domestic fleet, including the possible addition of more ATR 42 aircraft to improve reliability and connectivity across the country.

The return of the ATR aircraft is expected to ease pressure on domestic air travel, particularly for passengers travelling between Port Vila and the outer islands, where air transport remains a vital service.