The moai was found lying in a dried-up lagoon inside a volcano crater, leading researchers to believe there could be more statues and archaeological finds nearby.
A first flight with tourists, mostly with reservations made before the pandemic was declared at the beginning of 2020, arrives on Thursday at Mataveri international airport, in Hanga Roa.
During more than two years of the coronavirus pandemic, Easter Island was closed to tourism forcing inhabitants to turn to a more sustainable way of life and relearn forgotten skills.