New flight to further link Pacific countries

Palau and Australia are partnering “to expand connectivity in the Pacific” according to a May 6 release.

A non-stop flight between Koror and Brisbane named the Palau Paradise Express will initially be operated by Nauru Airlines, with the inaugural flight date to be announced for May.

Nauru Airlines will operate the flight until Oct. 31. “Eligible Australian, Pacific, and Asian airlines will be invited to participate in a limited tender to operate the route through October 2025,” according to a joint release from the Office of the President of Palau and the Australian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“The new route provides yet another avenue for people and businesses to move between Australia and the North Pacific - complementing the 'Island Hopper' flight between Brisbane, Nauru, Tarawa, Majuro, Pohnpei and Koror,” the release said.

The flight is through the Australia-Pacific Partnerships for Aviation Program.

Papua New Guinea’s Air Niugini suspended flights on the Palau-Brisbane route on May 1, according to Journal files.

According to a May 1 release from the International Air Transport Association, airlines in the Asia Pacific saw a 38.5% year-on-year increase in demand in March. “Capacity increased 37.4% year-on-year and the load factor rose to 85.6%, the highest among all regions. Major routes from [the] Asia-Pacific display outstanding growth, although the number of scheduled air services from China to North America is still only 16.5% of pre-pandemic levels,” IATA said. mbj

Palau moves into implementation phase on long-awaited hospital relocation

KOROR, Palau — More than three decades after it was built, Palau’s only hospital is firmly on a path toward replacement. President Surangel S. Whipps Jr. convened the first meeting of the Belau National Hospital Relocation Steering Committee on May 14, marking the start of what officials are calling the implementation phase of a project that many say is long overdue.

New flight to further link Pacific countries