Fiji Airways cancels direct Canberra-Nadi route after three years

Fiji Airways is stopping its direct flights from Canberra. Its much trumpeted service to the airline's main hub at Nadi International Airport will end early in the new year.

"Due to market conditions, we have taken the difficult decision to suspend our Canberra to Nadi services effective 5th February 2027," it told a customer booked on a flight after that date.

The airline told The Canberra Times that Canberrans could fly to Fiji "through our daily Sydney-Nadi services, which many Canberra travellers already use". It also said its last flight from Canberra would be on January 31. It said the end was a "suspension" but offered no resumption date.

When the new route was announced three years ago, there was a flamboyant ceremony at the airport, with airport executives, the ACT Chief Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister of Fiji, all decked in flower garlands, hailing a new era.

Initially, all seemed to be going well for the direct service three times a week at a return fare from $539.

But conditions have changed. It's not clear whether the introduction of Virgin Australia's Canberra-Bali flights was a factor in Fiji's decision - might Canberran tourists start to opt for Indonesia instead of Fiji, and so dent Fiji Airways' financial plans?

One factor for worsening "market conditions" is certainly the rise in aviation fuel prices in the wake of the US-Israel war with Iran. On top of that, there may be less demand for Fiji Airways' ongoing link to the west coast of the US, perhaps because the American government attitude to other countries has put potential passengers off.

Certainly, executives at Canberra Airport thought the Nadi-Los Angeles leg was the problem.

"The impacts of global uncertainty, continued escalation of fuel prices and softer demand for travel to the United States have currently made the service challenging to sustain," Michael Thomson, head of aviation, Canberra Airport, said.

Mr Thomson said the pullout was "disappointing" but, "We thank Fiji Airways for its commitment to Canberra and look forward to welcoming them back when the economic conditions improve. We remain focused on growing direct international connectivity for the Canberra region."

He added: "The service will continue to operate until 5 February 2027, so there is still time for Canberrans and travellers across the region to enjoy a direct escape to Fiji and experience its world-famous warmth and hospitality."

A week ago, Canberra Airport announced a tentative agreement with a big group of Chinese airports, with a view to operating direct flights to Nanjing, 300 kilometres up the Yangtze river from China's business capital, Shanghai. It's also a historic centre ripe for tourism.

With the Fiji cancellation, Canberra Airport will have the same number of direct international destinations as it had before COVID.

In 2018, there were seven destinations in Australia and two international destinations, according to the airport. There are currently 11 domestic destinations and two international ones (Bali and, from December, Qatar's hub in Doha).

The big loss was Singapore Airlines which flew to and from Wellington and Singapore, with Canberra as the middle stop, but Canberra Airport had hopes of starting direct flights to Auckland with Air New Zealand.

The number of passengers going through Canberra Airport is just short of the three million it was before the pandemic.