Fiji Airways has ruled out introducing a fuel surcharge for now, saying it will absorb rising costs as it completes a broader financial assessment — a decision that comes after the Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission approved and implemented an interim surcharge earlier this week.
Managing director and chief executive Paul Scurrah told this newspaper in an email interview that while fare adjustments are a normal industry response to changing costs, the national carrier has no plans to pass the recent rises in fuel prices directly onto passengers at this stage. “Fiji’s tourism industry depended on affordable air access and that responsibility is not lost on us,” he said. “We will do everything we can to remain as competitive and accessible as possible.”
Scurrah said Fiji Airways is continuing a “thorough assessment of the financial impact across their business” and will keep engaging closely with government, tourism partners and other industry stakeholders as the situation evolves. He framed the airline’s stance as part of a broader commitment to protect connectivity, jobs and economic opportunities across Fiji and the Pacific, adding: “We are in this together and we will navigate it together.”
The airline has already made some network adjustments this year in response to operating pressures. One of its eight weekly Brisbane flights was temporarily suspended earlier in the year, Scurrah confirmed, and the Nadi–Dallas route will be suspended from September 7. At the same time, Fiji Airways plans to upgrade services to Vancouver and increase frequencies to Hong Kong from September 22 — moves Scurrah said reflect an effort to balance capacity with demand and fuel costs.
Jet fuel prices have more than doubled since the start of the year, the airline noted, placing real pressure on carriers globally and prompting regulators and industry groups to consider measures such as interim surcharges. Fiji Airways said any capacity changes have not been taken lightly and vowed to work with the Government and stakeholders to keep further route adjustments to a minimum.
Scurrah pointed to some encouraging signs on bookings and demand. Forward bookings remain “encouraging, particularly from Australia and New Zealand,” and the airline launched a new Gold Coast service on June 11, which he described as a signal of confidence in Fiji’s tourism rebound.
The decision to hold off on a fuel levy will be watched closely by tourism operators and travellers alike, as airlines balance cost recovery against the need to keep air fares affordable for visitors and Pacific communities dependent on air links. Fiji Airways’ public commitment to continue engaging the Government suggests further discussions are expected as the carrier completes its assessment and monitors fuel price movements.