Australian Volunteers were flown out of Tonga on a charter flight organised by the Australian Volunteers International (AVI) on 25 March, confirmed the Australian High Commission (AHC) in Tonga today.

While Tonga does not have any confirmed COVID-19 cases to date, international commercial passenger flights have been barred from landing in Tonga for two weeks, starting on 23 March, to keep out COVID-19.

Despite the ban, AHC Second Secretary and Vice Consul, Leon Braun, told Matangi Tonga today, 26 March, that the charter flight was arranged by the AVI to return Australian volunteers and one dependent to Australia. 

“AVI offered other Australian citizens and permanent residents the opportunity to purchase empty seats on the flight.”

He said the offer was publicised on the Australian High Commission Facebook page and conveyed to people who had sought advice from the High Commission regarding flights to Australia.

AVI is a not-for-profit organisation that manages the Australian Volunteer Program in Tonga on behalf of the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

As for Australian citizens and permanent residents still in Tonga, the Australian Government advice published [2] yesterday, said the Government also agreed to consider, on a case-by-case basis, supporting our airlines to operate non-scheduled services to less central locations to bring Australians home.

“These will only be done where it is feasible, where all other commercial options have been exhausted and where local authorities will permit such flights.”

However, it does not have plans for assisted departures, such as those conducted to the epicentre of the COVID-19 outbreak, Wuhan in China and Japan.

“As many travellers are doing, it may be necessary for some Australians to stay where they are overseas, and as far as practicable remain safe and comfortable, including by following the directions of local authorities,” they advised.