He was meant to arrive to much public fanfare aboard his once-beloved vintage Boeing 707, before bestowing it as a gift to the Illawarra.
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But instead Hollywood actor John Travolta touched down quietly and empty handed at the Shellharbour airport on Monday afternoon to attend a private function with the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society and Shellharbour council staff.
He arrived at the airport about 2pm, dropping in to say "G'day" to Rural Fire Service crews at the Albion Park airport, before he ducked off to surprise customers at the Oak Flats branch of Bendigo Bank.
The bank is a sponsor of HARS, which is desperately trying to raise enough money to fix the vintage plane and fly it to Australia.
After his bank visit, the star hot-footed it back the airport to board HARS' existing plane "Connie" and take a joyflight with society members and council staff.
Before the flight, long-time Travolta fan and Shellharbour mayor Marianne Saliba took the chance to get him to sign autographs on movie memorabilia.
Travolta is in Australia to deliver a speaking tour - An Evening With John Travolta - but the plane he promised to give to the HARS two years ago remains stuck in America.
There is still no set date for when the vintage Boeing 707 might be able to arrive, with high repair costs and red tape keeping it out of Australia.
The council, and Cr Saliba, said they had no involvement in Monday's last minute visit.
"There has been a lot of uncertainty around the potential visit by John Travolta," Cr Saliba said ahead of the event.
"While he is arriving without the 707 he will be donating to HARS, it is wonderful that he has made time in his schedule to visit and have a close-up look at where his plane will be housed once it arrives at Shellharbour Airport.
HARS President Bob De La Hunty said he was "thrilled" to be welcoming Travolta to Shellharbour Airport.
"It is wonderful that John will get a chance to catch up with HARS members, several of whom know him quite well," Mr De La Hunty said.
"HARS has done a tremendous amount of work restoring the 707 that John has donated to our aviation museum.
"Of course, that work is continuing and more time is needed to comply with regularly requirements..."
"While it is a shame that, due to circumstances beyond our control the aircraft won't be arriving with Mr Travolta, we are honoured to be welcoming him and look forward to showing him around the museum."
The Mercury first reported that plans to bring in the plane had run into trouble in September, with the man behind the operation - former Qantas pilot John Dennis - saying high costs and red tape were keeping it in America.
Mr Dennis, who is overseeing the project on behalf of HARS, said it could cost the organisation up to $2 million to get the plane back in the air.
These costs will be funded by the Illawarra-based not-for-profit, not Mr Travolta.
Despite the setbacks, Mr Dennis told the Mercury in September that he could guarantee that the plane would arrive in Australia at some point.
"It's going to happen; that aircraft is going to arrive in Australia," he said. "And I can give you an assurance that when it does, John Travolta will be on it. I just can't give you a date."