Port Vila's Runway
 

I've seen some shockers throughout Asia but this must be bad, QF/ANZ/VA withdrawing flights.

Potholes galore, loose ashphalt...beyond use apparently. Too high risk of potential damage to control surfaces from loose debris.

Meanwhile the other backdoor operators keep operating...

I thought VA were still going in there, although I stand to be corrected. Is PX still going in?

I would like to see photos out of curiosity.

Virgin are out.

Virgin Australia suspends flights between Brisbane and Vanuatu over runway fears - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Australia should offer to fix the runway from our Foreign Aid budget, send in the Army. Fixed in quick time and would benefit the whole community. More tourists mean $$ in the economy, simple really.

Ah yer, so the Australian taxpayers have to throw another few hundred grand or millions on a runway that serves tourists in a foreign country.

If the runway condition had deteriated so much that it's unusable to jets, one must question how it got to this stage. I have no issues with Australia helping out, however we must be looking at the long term solution, if we are going to throw money at it. How do the airport owners maintain the aerodrome, why has it got to this stage of disrepair.

Interesting that the current Notam (issued 3 days ago) indicates the runway is operational.

How, unless you have local knowledge or contacts, are you to determine that there are concerns?

<Interesting that the current Notam (issued 3 days ago) indicates the runway is operational.>

If you read further it mentions "For a CUB" :rolleyes:

Recolonisation.
Wanim taim masta bilong ol kam bek?
30-40 years post independence is normally enough to dig the hole.

Most of those tourists are Australian. I'm certainly not into unfettered aid being thrown around but, quite frankly, I'd rather have their runway repaired and us be able to travel to Vanuatu than the millions that's being spent on looking for another country's aircraft, with other countries' passengers, in waters that aren't even considered Australian. Altruistic I ain't.

All well and good to fix the runway at Australian taxpayers expense, however once the job has been done will they be able to maintain it? Let's just give them a couple of fire trucks in the process?

Virgin are not "out". They plan a service on Saturday.

I hear you and agree. Mind you, I don't think they were helped out with the nasty bit of weather they had last March :ooh: Maybe they've been spending their money elsewhere after the islands got levelled.

Virgin's last flight out on Sat is full, the only other direct way to Australia is Air Vanuatu.

No doubt will be expensive to get out of there now the main three have pulled. Only Air Vanuatu direct to Australia or go via Fiji.

Pontius,
I hardly think the runway deterioration is attributable to the 12 months since the cyclone.
Bauerfield is critical infrastructure for tourism dollar. I guess they figured other things were more important.

Either you help. or not.
 

This country is pretty much down at heel, BUT, they are out neighbors. They were a down at heel colony then the anglo french consortium set them adrift.

So make your minds up, either we (Aus or NZ) help them to restart their economy, or we dont. Without a functioning airport they are cactus.

They need tourists to keep their fragile economy running.

Maybe we should be a little more respectful of our neighbors, after all, they were in the region before most of us.

End rant....

Government owned Air Vanuatu are currently taking delivery of a new leased B738, so presumably the Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Works Utilities, Civil Aviation Department of Vanuatu sees no issues with the Bauerfield air strip? They also have one ATR42-600 and three DHC6 on order.

Why should Australia continually repair developing nation infrastructure, when airstrip maintenance is a perpetually on-going process?

Limelight is right. Australia needs to do more to help our near neighbors than those we help who are more distant. Such help must include programs to ensure that money is spent as intended. Rather than give dollars, we should provide everything but train the locals at the same time.

Paying some $$ toward fixing the runway may go a long way to preventing another "failed state" in our region. The political situation in a number of countries in the pacific region has been marginal for a number of years. In the absence of employment opportunities, the natives will get restless and things will deteriorate.

It's in Australia's national interest to make sure our closest neighbours in the SW Pacific are stable, if anything to limit the growing Chinese influence in some of these countries.

Exactly, wishiwas.
I know China has been keeping a close eye on Vanuatu (amongst others) to see how they can best 'help'.
ISTR there was some talk of 'fishing rights' a while back.

In any case, I'd be asking to 'see the books' as a pre-condition of assistance.

China is currently funding the construction of a big convention centre in Port Vila. Maybe they'll throw some more in for runway repairs?


I've been told, though, that there is already a World Bank (or similar) loan available to fund the repairs, which was made available after TC Pam resulted in significant acceleration of the deterioration. Not sure why it hasn't been started, but presumably this will take some months to undertake. Meantime, an already battered tourist economy will suffer some more

" that there is already a World Bank (or similar) loan available to fund the repairs, which was made available after TC Pam resulted in significant acceleration of the deterioration."


Ahhhh! But how to distribute it? There's me who should get a share, and then my relative, and his second brother ............. and on it goes.




"Not sure why it hasn't been started, but presumably this will take some months to undertake"


Not familiar with the Pacific, are you? Try years in lieu of months.




Troppo nailed it. Vanuatu is one of many examples in the Pacific, and Africa, where the locals were better off under different circumstances. National pride comes at a price.

Perhaps the money which should have been spent maintaining the runway got syphoned off into someones bank account ?

Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport is a prize example of this, opened nearly ten years ago and plagued by cracks in the runways, taxiways and apron areas from day one. The problem still isn't fixed and resurfacing is an ongoing exercise.

The Chinese could build them a runway but I think the politicians would rather someone gave them the money to build the runway instead.:rolleyes:

It's pretty simple really. The runway has been deteriorating for quite some time, they finally did the survey about a year and a half ago from memory but only when Virgin and the others started to threaten to pull out. Survey got done, there was a loan available from the World Bank and also I believe from Japan as well whom were also set to redo their Wharf, but it all fell apart as usual at the last minute due to some minister or another who decided they weren't getting enough money out of it.

There was also talk of constructing an entirely new Airport on Efate, the main island, this muddied the waters somewhat, once again that all came undone rather quickly. The group who were going to do it thought they'd be able to throw money at the Ni-Vans who owned the land they wanted and it'd all be good, these Ni-Vans though had a bit more pride and weren't willing to give up the only real assets and their ancestral lands for money, especially from the arrogant bunch who were offering it, nice to see in a way actually!

Vanuatu also has a lot of corruption within its Government, they recently sent to jail 11+ MPs for corruption, though I think they're all out again now but banned from any positions of power for at least a decade, for what little good that will do.

I was there flying around a couple of weeks after Cyclone Pam hit and there weren't any particular pot holes or large sections breaking up but you could see it starting and who knows what the survey showed underneath as well. They could have had it all done by now but they continually let pride get in the way and as we all know, Pride comes before the fall!

Yes 100%, if we don't step in and help China will........:sad:

Airports Vanuatu Limited
 

Bauerfield has reached this state after years of neglect and mis-management by AVL.
In recent months corruption scandals , lack of transparency, and government interference have all contribute to the demise.
We have qualified and capable ni-vanuatu that can take charge , yet they are not selected due to the nepotism and Govt appointees that win at the end of the day,resulting in money going missing. Carriers pay Ldg fees, so where has all the money gone??
We have an air-conditioned VIP terminal, seldom used , new, yet both international and domestic terminals are falling apart and yet to be up-graded since the bad colonial days. Airport approach lighting has been out for months, beacons intermittent, fire trucks always inop and to add insult to injury,last month, they fired the last European ATC standards guy , as he highlighted problems within the system.
What this country needs is a proper international airport, not a regional one, something to handle wide-body and the only solution is to up-grade Santo Pekoa with 3200m of new tarmac that was surveyed in 1943 with nice clear take off and landing approach paths.
Bauerfield was purposely built near the ridge by the Seabees to safe guard against Japanese aerial attack and has passed its used by date by about 40 years.
Should Australia help I hear you say; then if so make sure you bring in Australian workers and especially management staff to oversee the procurement of equipment and finances .
NF is also bleeding for similar reasons, ATR lies rotting on the grass with missing motors,leasing a clapped out 737 in the interim whilst the new one comes, Otters in dire need of refurbishment , Yes the state of Aviation has come rock bottom. Having lost their IOSA audit, it may be best Jetstar or someone similar take over international Ops.
NF needs to privatize to change the working mentality of its overstaffed workforce, similarly AVL needs competent management to get the essential work done:ugh::ugh::ugh::ugh:

Appears QANTAS and ANZ have stopped flying as well...

https://au.travel.yahoo.com/news/a/3...s-for-landing/

Why do they need to be able to take widebody aircraft? there isn't the demand, and would just add unneeded cost.

They just need an decent new runway that can happy handle 737s/320s to AKL,SYD,BNE. Along with an simple, modern terminal setup.

Most of the other Islands have been able to get there act together, and worship NZ to fly to them. Yet Port Vila Airport on the other hand

You won't stop China and Malaysia increasing their influence in the Pacific.

Their funding is "liberally distributed" and always comes with strings attached. Unfortunately, Islanders find out too late that their resources have been sold out by their own wealthy politicians.

Australian funding comes without strings attached, is not "liberally distributed" and funds specific projects through tied funding, directly administered and disbursed by Australian agencies.

And that is the way it should be!

" And that is the way it should be! "


Which is exactly why the pollies find the money that is liberally distributed more attractive and allows China, Taiwan etc to get established in impoverished countries.


Those countries distributing liberally will continue to do so and develop regional relationships and influence despite Australia doing it properly. If Australia was to stop the money would keep flowing, probably some into the projects Australia was involved in - plus a bit more into local hip pockets.


There is a case for the return of colonialism.

However, it wasn't always the case in a certain country to the North, now wasn't that the case Taily! :E We both have seen the results of the reverse case in operation in the past have we not?:ugh:


In my admittedly short time back in PNG, I was asked, generally by elderly Villagers, on a fairly regular basis 'when taim bilong Masta come back?':hmm:

Simply because they saw the 'progress':rolleyes: that had come to their Villages since Independence.

Zanzibar; colonialism is well on its way back, in Africa as well as closer to home, just not with the same master.