PAITA — On March 3rd, Air Vanuatu's only Boeing 737-800 jet was temporarily withheld at Nouméa La Tontouta by New Caledonian authorities, due to the airlines unpaid ground service fees.



Air Vanuatu has reached an agreement with the New Caledonian civil aviation authority (Direction de l'Aviation Civile - DAC-NC) over outstanding ground handling bills stretching back more than two years.

The aircraft conducted a repatriation flight with more than 100 university students back to New Caledonia, was held back for more than an hour before it was allowed to return to Port Vila.