First Australian aid plane lands in Tonga, more assistance on the way

The first lot of aid supplies from Australia has arrived in Tonga.

A cargo plane from the Amberly RAAF Base in Queensland to Tonga has arrived packed with supplies to help the country recover from a devastating volcanic eruption.

Three people have been confirmed dead since the island nation was hit by a volcanic eruption and tsunami on Saturday.

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Supplies including water, generators and communications gear were unloaded by aid workers clad in PPE.

"It's rewarding being on the first mission, but there's still a lot more work to be done," Wing Commander Dean Bolton said.

Australian Defence Minister Peter Dutton said Tonga still has a way to go on its road to recovery.

"They are tough conditions on the ground. C17s will struggle with the ash that's still in the air," he said.

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While Tonga's main airport has been cleared of ash from the eruption, the pollution still presents a risk to drinking water and air quality.

Around 80 per cent of the population has now been affected by the natural disaster.

Australian military assistance is also on the way, with navy ship HMAS Adelaide travelling to Tonga from Queenslnd.