Australian volunteers, who have been stranded in Vanuatu since an airline’s collapse, have been offered a lift home on a luxury cruise ship.
Their club, whose travel insurance policy did not cover insolvency, has been left with $10,000 in out-of-pocket expenses and has been desperately searching for a way to bring the team home.
Today, however, their luck turned around.
The group have got themselves on charter planes from Tanna back to Port Villa, where a P&O cruise has docked. The company has offered them a ride back to Australia on the six-day Pacific Adventure cruise.
The team were “thrilled” for the “opportunity of a lifetime”, Hive Rotary Club president Kellie Kadaoui said in a social media post.
“All have answered a plea for help after being stranded following the collapse of Air Vanuatu,” she said.
“P&O has come to the rescue by offering to bring us home. The team will board the ship in Port Vila … at no cost”
The cruise ship will arrive back in Sydney on Thursday.
Air Vanuatu cancelled all its international flights last week, including those to Sydney and Brisbane, before declaring insolvency.
A statutory report to creditors later revealed the airline has an overall deficit of $US65.9 million ($98.6 million) and owes creditors $US73.5 million ($110 million).
The Vanuatu government has stepped in with financial support as liquidators explore ways to keep the carrier operational.
Discussion about this post