An Air New Zealand flight bringing medical equipment from Auckland to Tonga on Thursday, 23 April has been approved to leave with passengers, confirmed the Minister for MEIDECC, Hon Poasi Tei, today.

The outgoing flight is an option for citizens and permanent residents of other countries to return to their homes via New Zealand.

However, according to New Zealand Immigration [2] only people from the following eligible countries can currently transit via New Zealand:

• Australia
• Austria
• Brazil
• Bulgaria
• Canada
• Chile
• Croatia
• Denmark
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Italy
• Japan
• Mexico
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Slovenia
• Switzerland
• United Kingdom
• USA
• Uruguay
• Ecuador
• Macedonia

People travelling to New Zealand and Australia are subject to 14 days quarantine at their port of arrival.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters announced [3] that all transiting passengers must:

• Remain airside and cannot enter New Zealand;
• Have a maximum 10-hour window to leave on their onward flight;
• Must have no COVID-19 symptoms, no contact with a suspected or confirmed case and not be awaiting test results; and
• Must have confirmation from the airline that they will be permitted to board for their entire journey – as well as confirmation prior to boarding that their destination country will permit arrival.

The Air New Zealand website [4] is also selling seats for flights out of Tonga to Auckland every Thursday starting from 23 April.

These flights are subject to the approval of the Tongan Government.

However, the flights are currently not approved to bring passengers into Tonga, where the government has indicated 12 June as a possible re-opening date.