The first repatriation flight to Tonga from Brisbane, Australia with 80 passengers arrived at Fua’amotu International Airport this afternoon, 29 October.

The passengers include stranded and seasonal workers, who will be quarantined at the Tanoa International Dateline Hotel in Nuku’alofa and Makeke Camp in Vaini for 14 days.

The flight also carried a new rotation of outgoing seasonal workers back to work in Australia.

Acting Deputy Police Commissioner ‘Atunaisa Taumoepeau confirmed today that 100 plus seasonal workers left Tonga on the return flight to Brisbane.

New Zealand

Meanwhile, another repatriation flight is scheduled to arrive tomorrow, Friday 30 October, from Auckland, New Zealand with around 160 people.

Earlier this week, MEIDECC stated there are also plans for a repatriation flight from Brisbane on 18 November and another one from Auckland on 19 November.

More repatriation flights are also planned for December and January.

To date, a total of 499 people have been repatriated to Tonga from Fiji, New Zealand, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Australia, including 1 person who disembarked from a fishing vessel.