WELLINGTON, 16 April 2026 — New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says there is currently no immediate risk to Pacific leaders travelling to Palau for this year’s Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), but has warned Wellington is ready to step in with transport support if global fuel pressures worsen. Luxon told reporters on Thursday that, while August is still months away, no requests for assistance have been received so far.
“At this point we don’t see any risk of that. There is no risk to any fuel disruption for us and that’s a good thing. But August is a long way away,” Luxon said, signalling a cautious assurance even as many Pacific capitals face higher fuel bills driven by the Middle East crisis. Palau’s President Surangel Whipps Jr, who visited Aotearoa last week, echoed that assessment and said he did not expect the fuel situation to prevent leaders attending PIF. Whipps thanked New Zealand, Australia and the United States for offering to assist by “going around and pick[ing] up leaders and bring[ing] them to PIF” if needed.
The latest comments update earlier regional warnings that rising oil prices and supply-chain strains could push up transport and domestic costs across the Pacific. Several island states are particularly exposed because their leaders rely on long, complex international routes — often routing through hubs such as Guam, Japan and the Philippines — to reach Palau. That logistical fragility has been highlighted repeatedly as the global conflict elevates fuel prices and shipping uncertainty, with Pacific governments and watchdogs flagging potential knock-on effects on fuel and food prices.
New Zealand’s offer is not without precedent. Wellington provided transport assistance to get leaders to the Forum held in Tonga in 2024 and again to Honiara in September 2025. Foreign Minister Winston Peters underlined the strategic importance of the meetings, saying the Forum was a key moment for the region to present a united front amid a “very challenging global strategic environment.” For now, Luxon’s statement is meant to reassure smaller Forum members that contingencies exist to keep the summit accessible.
Domestically, the fuel squeeze is already forcing adjustments. Fiji Airways has been changing flight schedules in response to rising jet fuel costs, a move that signals immediate commercial impacts even if government-to-government solutions are available for leaders’ travel. The Fijian government has not yet confirmed its delegation to the Palau Forum, and other capitals are similarly finalising travel plans while keeping an eye on fuel-market developments.
What is new in this update is the formal public assessment from New Zealand’s prime minister — a shift from earlier March coverage that focused largely on risks and possible price shocks — and an explicit pledge of ready support if pressure grows. The declaration matters because PIF, scheduled for August, remains the Pacific’s main political forum; ensuring participation by island leaders will be central to the region’s ability to coordinate responses to shared economic and security challenges. Officials say they will continue monitoring fuel markets and travel bookings closely in the months ahead.
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