Review of Air Vanuatu flight Sydney → Port Vila in Economy

After 2 days in Sydney, it’s time for the departure to Vanuatu, a destination not so much reported, on a company more than tropical: Air Vanuatu.
Early departure from central Sydney to the domestic terminal at Kingfordsmith Airport for approximately AUD 2. 

After 1h by bus to join SYD, free transfer to international terminal on a shuttle

After 20 min, I arrive at the international terminal.
Here is the FIDS 

Air Vanuatu bag drop-off opens 2h30 before the flights, so I wait on this very nice spotter friendly cafe

Boarding will open on time.
4 counters open for the whole flight, it will take some time.
But, it is very similar to the spirit of the company: a company focused on holidays and tourism 

Then, let's go to the airside part of SYD

The controls will be shipped again very quickly.
Very impressed by the efficiency of SYD’s teams

We arrive directly in the duty free with a lot of well-known European brands.
SYD has nothing to envy to CDG duty free 

The terminal is not as big as I imagined, but is very nice and bright.
And especially very spotter friendly:)

Local wildlife with the LC Qantas 

Then, lots of airlines not or few represented in Europe
A 350 China Eastern 

B777 Asiana in Star Alliance livery

A350 DL for LAX and B777 United for SFO

B787-9 United

We arrive to a more SkyTeam part of the terminal
B787 Xiamen and A330-300 Garuda 

A350 Vietnam Airlines in Skyteam livery

Then, I find a spot with a B787 China Southern to wait for our "small" B737-800 from Air Vanuatu.
Although the number of flights is not so impressive from SYD, with a daily curfew, the capabilities of aircraft and especially to SIN are very important
Witness this A380 Singapore and A330 Malaysian, making the traffic between Australia and Asia, then certainly Europe

B777 Thai

And the A350 Vietnam Airlines that leaves

Our plane arrives 30 min before our theoretical departure time, it feels the delay

I’m going to our door.
Passing through a 1st A380 SQ 

And a second that pushes back.
The SYD-SIN flow is very important, making it possible to make the bridge between Australia and Europe 

Our plane in door, contrasts with the mastodons present at SYD.
Remember that this is a "small" plane 

Boarding will start 20 minutes after the theoretical departure time.
Doar time 

Passage through Business that seems tired

Then, my seat 22A

Pitch will be tight for a 3h flight

The ceiling light seems to indicate a classic age for a B737-800.
However, the general condition of the plane is not very good 

An on-board magazine is present, with the Air Vanuatu network, and especially the domestic network.
The seat is also damaged, presence of many pen strokes 

We will pushed back with a 30 min delay.
Taxi at SYD is very long 

Virgin Australia who lands in  B737

We will go all along the taxi way until the pacific Ocean

We will take off just after the Dash of Qantas will have landed

Take off, then directly a right turn

Flight over SYD suburbs

Then, left turn and starts of the Pacific ocean ride

Blue ocean all around us

Just after the light has been switched off, an announcement similar to the one of Australia regarding bio-safety risks is made. Then, a property declaration card is given from the beginning, not the approach. Strange!

This one is full of add, very strange for a state official paper

Outside, it is still very blue ;)

Common screen to follow the road are taken out

Before leaving, I wanted to download the Air Vanuatu app to be able to register.
But this one did not exist.
Instead, there was an Air Vanuatu entertainment app.
This will not work at any time. Even the crew is surprised by this application which requires Wifi, while the only B737 of the Vanuatu Air fleet does not have one!! 

A hot meal will be offered.
A pie and yogurt, as well as a drink will be offered to everyone. 

Cheers to the reporters

Not wishing the pie, the air hostess will offer me to have a croissant breakfast.
This one will be served hot, will not have much to do with a croissant, but will be very good. 

The crew will be really nice.
All giving a rather exceptional experience on board and out of air standards.
Between a plane whose general condition is very average, sharp with a crew and a very fair snack.

We will fly over New Caledonia under the clouds 

Then 1h later, we start our descent into the clouds.
Quite far from the image of the paradise island 

We will go through the cloud layer, and it is quite dark approaching the island of Efate.
Main island of Vanuatu 

Land in sight, but still no airport

Right turn, and then overpass some houses

Final over a farm with cows.
Rather original approach 

Hit early, and full spoiler.
The advanced condition of the flaps and spoilers could be noticed 

U-turn in the snowshoe at the end of the track.
Very surprised by the presence of farmers fire on the track!  

And arrival at the international terminal of Port Vila airport.
Perfectly, the image of a terminal of a paradise airport.

The Vanuatu Air fleet, where our B737 is far from being the "smallest" 

We will park so that our plane can leave autonomously.
The comparison between the B737-800 and the rest of the fleet is impressive 

Deboarding by the rear of the aircraft

Fuselage shot

Sight on the international terminal of Port Vila

And finally our entire plane.
I can not form an opinion on the livery of Air Vanuatu 

We will reach the terminal on foot.
Endless passport control in the heat.

Our luggage is waiting for us on the only carpet in the international terminal.
And, very surprising a duty free before going through customs 

I will reach Port Vila by car after 15 min back.

Thank you for reading me for this flight quite out of the standards

See you soon for the rest of the journey

Papa Sierra Golf 91