Rapa Nui Received it's First Visitors after a gap of 30 months since Pandemic disconnection .

As if , Island's 1,000 extant monumental statues or moai were waiting to see the first visitors since Pandemic battered the air travel and touristic link to the Rapa Nui (native name) , the remote volcanic island in Polynesia , was severely affected.

Rapa Nui is one of the most remote islands on the planet and the route to reach it is also one of the most complex at an operational level in the world.

Dated 4th August 22 , First visitors to the Easter Island (Rapa Nui) received an warm welcome from the Island , after 30 months of disconnection.

On resumption of the route to Easter Island , LATAM has planned two weekly frequencies (Thursday and Saturday) operated by a Boeing 787-9, with capacity for 30 passengers in Premium Business cabin and 274 passengers in Economy cabin.

Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability of LATAM Airlines Group , Juan Jose Toha said ,

“We are very pleased to conclude a difficult stage for the Rapa Nui community. During these two and a half years, in coordination with the local authorities, we maintained a limited connectivity which allowed us to transport patients and essential personnel for the operation of the island, as well as basic supplies such as medicines, food from JUNAEB and vaccines." 

"With the progressive restoration of regular flights, families will be able to meet again, the supply of various supplies will improve and tourism, the main source of income and employment on the island, will return”, 

Throughout the pandemic , LATAM helped keep the people of Rapa Nui supplied and connected. In addition to operating weekly freighter flights, which allowed the transport of passengers and goods -including 19,700 vaccines against Covid-19 for free-, the group carried out, together with the Municipality, seven passenger charter flights, transporting nearly 4,000 people.

LATAM said to have transported 59 tons of waste from the island to the mainland this year, accumulating a total of 338 tons of waste mobilized in the pandemic. 

Meanwhile , Aeropuerto de Santiago has published it's requirements for Easter Island departure from the Airport ,