Suspension of flights does not have any impact on Fiji Airways - Pichler

The suspension of flights between Fiji and the Solomon Islands does not have any impact on Fiji Airways.

Fiji Airways CEO and Managing Director Stefan Pichler said for them as a company they have analyzed the situation and saw that the suspension of flights to Honiara will see them utilize the plane elsewhere.

Pichler said Solomon Islands will lose out more in relation to this suspension.

According to Pichler, his team together with the Tourism Fiji team was earlier this week participating in a Melanesian Airline Tourism Forum in Vanuatu and unfortunately Solomon Islands was not present.

Pichler hopes that common sense will prevail.

Solomon Islands Ministry of Aviation and Communications Permanent Secretary Francis Lomo claimed the suspension of Solomon airline services is due to the expiry of the air services agreement between Solomon Airlines and Fiji Airways.

Meanwhile, 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.