Nauru Airlines took off on the inaugural Brisbane to Palau direct flight, dubbed the Paradise Express, last night at 11:30pm and landed at Palau International Airport on the main island of Babeldaob at 04:30am local time.
The 6-hour non-stop service on Nauru Airlines’ 737-700 and 737-800 aircraft to the beautiful island of Palau marks the beginning of a new chapter in Nauru Airline’s journey, with a weekly flight departing Brisbane on Tuesdays at 11:30pm and returning on a Thursday morning at 5:30am.
Travel Monitor journalist Kate Webster was onboard the inaugural flight and was there at Brisbane Airport for the celebrations of the launched service.
Over 100 guests attended the celebration event, including dignitaries from the Republic of Nauru and Nauru Airlines Chairman Dr Kieran Keke. Guests were welcomed by the Honourable Maverick Eoe, Deputy Minister responsible for Nauru Airlines and Nauru Airlines Chairman Dr Kieren Keke. Also in attendance were Nauru Consul General, Mr Ruston Kun and Mr Andrew Cumpston, Assistant Secretary from the Office of the Pacific in Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Members of the Palau and Nauru communities from Brisbane also joined the celebrations.
“It is with the support provided by the Australian Government’s e new “Australia-Pacific Partnerships for Aviation (P4A) program”, that we can work together to launch this important new service that better connects the Pacific with Australia,” said Minister Eoe.
“Nauru Airlines has been connecting the Islands of the Pacific, connecting the people of the Pacific with Australia for over 53 years. Nauru Airlines has operated in Micronesia for most of that time and did operate through Palau for a period in the 1980s. Micronesia and the central and northern Pacific is Nauru Airline’s home and we know this region well.
“Twelve years ago, Nauru Airlines began regular services connecting Brisbane through Nauru and on to Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia. Following a temporary suspension of these flights during COVID-19, this service recommenced in October 2022 through Australia’s Pacific Flights Program.
“In partnership with Australia, nearly six months ago in December 2023, Nauru Airlines extended the Australia-North Pacific Connector service onto Palau.
“Today we launch an even better way to get to Palau with direct flights from Brisbane non-stop to Palau. After 53 years of operations, this is the first time Nauru Airlines will fly direct from Brisbane to Palau. All of you travelling on this inaugural flight are part of aviation history.”
“Nauru is very honoured to be able to partner with Australia and Palau to deliver this new direct connection and we look forward to seeing a rapid growth in visitors between both countries and indeed beyond Palau, to and from other parts of Micronesia and the northern Pacific.
“Air services such as these deliver far more than visitors and tourists, as they enable trade and stimulate other business and commercial opportunities. Air services in the Pacific, and importantly air services that connect the Pacific with an important partner like Australia, are like rail and roads across Australia. These air services are essential infrastructure linking people and economies. The existence of these air services is crucial to the economic development of the region,” Minister Eoe said.
“We are grateful that the Australian government recognises this and is partnering with us to support these essential air services.
“Finally, I would like to encourage the Australian people, and the travelling public more broadly, to hop on one of Nauru Airline’s flights to Palau, and experience a new destination, an exciting destination, a destination that is a pristine paradise!”
The new Palau Paradise Express and the Australia-North Pacific Connector services are enabled by the P4A program. P4A is an Australian Government initiative partnering with Pacific countries for a safer, more resilient and sustainable aviation sector, improving people-to-people links and supporting economic growth.
On board the first ‘Palau Paradise Express’ flight were over 50 travel agents and industry guests who will spend a week exploring the destination.
Stay tuned to Travel Monitor to see what Kate gets up to on the ground in Palau, the flight review on Nauru Airlines and how you can sell your clients on a Palau getaway.
All photos are credited to Kate Webster.
Kate flew as a guest of Nauru Airlines.
