Photo: Hilaire Bule
The economic challenges at Air Vanuatu impacted travellers over the holiday period.
Vanuatu's national carrier is facing staff shortages, and allegations of poor management have been aimed at its CEO, according to RNZ Pacific's correspondent in the country.
Hilaire Bule said more than 15,000 people were travelling during the Christmas and New Year period and most of them were forced to travel by boat due to issues at the airline.
Bule said he himself experienced the flight cancellation due to a shortage of pilots.
"I was myself during the 27th of December I went to the airport, about 20 passengers were stranded here when they were supposed to travel to Pentecost and Ambrym islands but they didn't tell them they had a problem with the pilot."
According to the Daily Post, the Air Vanuatu CEO's contract is being terminated but the reasons have not yet been confirmed.