Palau ready for takeoff

Palau will welcome two more airlines in November.

Nauru Airlines officials announced, on Oct. 23, they will begin an island hopper flight from Brisbane to Tarawa, Majuro, and Pohnpei en route to Palau. A weekly return flight from Palau will operate on Saturdays.

Days later, on Oct. 27, Alii Palau Airline and Changi Airport Group announced the airline will begin a Singapore-Palau route on Nov. 23 with Drukair, the Royal Bhutan Airlines. The route will also connect with Bhutan.

Drukair operates within Southeast Asia and is headquartered at Paro International Airport in Bhutan. Aside from Paro, Drukair serves nine international destinations and three domestic destinations within Bhutan according to its website, also operating charters. It already flies between Paro and Singapore. Its fleet of six planes includes one Airbus 320 neo, three Airbus A319s, one ATR 42-600 and One H-13072.

Alii Palau is selling its Nov. 23 maiden flight from Singapore to Palau, with flights scheduled through March 31, 2024, and “launch offers” on tickets available. See Flight Schedule - Alii Palau Airlines (flyaliipalau.pw). Alii Palau’s office is in the Palasia Hotel in Koror, where it also has an airline gift shop.

Nauru Airlines started accepting bookings on Oct. 27. Interested travelers can check out the website: https://www.nauruair.com.

Nauru Airlines CEO Brett Gebers said the expansion of Nauru Airlines’ services marked a milestone for the airline and was in line with its commitment to provide essential air links to the Pacific region.

“Adding Palau to our extensive network highlights Nauru Airlines' 53-year dedication to facilitating seamless travel throughout the remote islands of the Pacific,” Gebers said in the company’s press release. “This new route also bridges the northern and central Pacific to key destinations in Asia, Australia, and Fiji. This expansion not only opens doors to unique travel experiences but also enhances economic and cultural ties within the region.”

President Surangel S. Whipps Jr. and his administration have been working to make Palau a gateway for flights between Asia and Europe, and the North and South Pacific.

“We’re opening our arms as a region to the world and brings Palau closer to our goal as a hub for international travelers,” Whipps said in a recent press release.

The partnership is a rare opportunity for regional travel agents and government organizations like Pacific Asia Travel Association Micronesia and South Pacific Tourism Organization to collaborate and give travelers a unique taste of the Pacific.

Palau's tourism numbers showed 30,091 visitors from January to September 2023, surpassing the anticipated 20,000 visitors. The island nation’s leadership is working to push the upward trend further and anticipates an estimated 40,000 visitors by the end of this year. Ongoing efforts include advocating existing airline partners to increase frequency and expand markets while also meeting industry leaders to bring new flights to Palau, according to Palau's Ministry of Human Resources, Culture, Tourism and Development. 

Currently, United Airlines offers five flights from Guam and two from the Philippines weekly. China Airlines operates twice a week, and Air Niugini offers a weekly link, connecting Palau and Australia through Papua New Guinea. Additionally, Palau enjoys three charter flights - Lanmei Airlines, Cambodia Airlines, and Sky Angkor Airlines - arriving weekly from Macau, China. Jeju Airline offers a weekly flight from South Korea. mbj

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