Fiji Airways slams 'aggressive' Qantas

Fiji Airways has slammed Qantas for an “aggressive” move to expand direct flights to Fiji, saying the decision could hurt the Fijian economy. In January, Qantas introduced 4 direct flights a week from Sydney to Nadi, the main gateway for the island nation. The airline has now applied to operate a daily service. Fiji Airways CE Andre Viljoen said this came as a “surprise” given Qantas owns 46% of Fiji Airways and the carrier has been the Qantas codeshare partner for flights to Fiji for 17 years. “It is certainly alarming when your major shareholder and long-standing commercial partner all of a sudden becomes your major competitor,” Viljoen said. “Qantas’ sudden flip from ally to adversary has been very damaging for Fiji Airways. It is competing aggressively, actively directing passengers onto Qantas and Jetstar services.” <br/>