Fiji: Nadi-Honiara flights suspended

Fiji and Solomon Island have suspended each other’s flights between Honiara and Nadi.

In a statement, the Solomon Islands government says it is suspending Fiji Airways flights to and from Honiara because Fiji authorities denied the entry of a Solomon Airlines flight to Nadi over the weekend.

Its director of Civil Aviation, George Satu, says Fiji Airways earlier applied to operate a second service to Solomon Islands beginning in July but the Solomons’ regulator could not approve the service due to space and timing.

He says the government has been very obliging with most, if not all, of the Fiji government’s requests in regards to aviation rights.

However the Fiji government has also put out a statement, in which it says the responsibility lies with Solomon Islands.

It says the Solomon Island government has refused to allow two Fiji Airways direct flights from Nadi to Honiara to take place over the past two weekends and Fiji had no choice but to respond in kind.

Fiji says the Solomon Islands government breached the Air Services Agreement that allows for air travel between the two nations.

It states after the latest flight was refused permission to fly on Saturday, Fiji countered by banning a Solomon Airlines flight that was due to take place on the same day.

Attorney General and Minister for Civil Aviation, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, said the responsibility for the dispute rested with Solomon Islands.

Sayed-Khaiyum said there had been a disagreement between the airlines of the two countries over sharing the direct route but Fiji had anticipated that the dispute could be settled in the normal commercial manner.

He said they need to lift their flight ban and allow the airlines to return to the negotiating table so that the travelling public is not inconvenienced any further.

Meanwhile, Fiji Airways has issued an apology to all affected customers.