People seek assistance on travel plans from Fiji Airways

Many people lined-up at the Fiji Airways office in Suva to get clarification, change flights schedule and ask for assistance from Fiji Airways officials on their travel plans.

Australian national, Greig Watts who came to Fiji with his wife for holidays says he was at the office to look for other flight schedules for Melbourne and if there is nothing then he will remain in the country.

He says they booked a flight back to Australia with Fiji Airways that was scheduled to leave tomorrow but when he heard the news that flights to Melbourne has been cancelled, he is unsure now how to get back to Australia.

He adds the move by the government to cancel flights is a good move but if the government gave them one week to re-schedule, it would have helped very much.

Meanwhile, Shahil Lal who was part of the group standing outside the office says she is there to get clarification whether there is a flight out of New Delhi for her parents.

Lal says her parents are stranded in New Delhi and she is looking for other flights to get them home.

She says she is hopeful that Fiji Airways will find another solution that can help people like her who have families overseas.

Fiji Airways has suspended 95% of its international flights in response to the COVID-19 impact around the world.

While making the announcement, the Minister for Economy and Attorney General, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says Fiji Link domestic services will remain in effect but may be adjusted depending on demand.

Sayed-Khaiyum says Fiji Airways will operate one Nadi to Sydney return service on Saturday 21st March and Sunday 22nd March, and suspend the service after that.

He says flights from Nadi to Los Angeles return services will operate on Saturday 21st March and Sunday 22nd March, and be suspended after the last Los Angeles to Nadi flight returns to Fiji on 24th March.

Sayed-Khaiyum says Fiji Airways will operate the last return Auckland to Nadi service on Sunday 22nd March.

He says the final South Pacific return services between Nadi or Suva and Nuku’alofa, Honiara and Funafuti will operate on Saturday 21st March. Sayed-Khaiyum says the return services between Nadi and Brisbane, Melbourne, Christchurch, Wellington, Hong Kong, Tokyo (Narita), Apia, Tarawa, Christmas Island (Kiritimati), Vava’u, San Francisco and Honolulu are suspended immediately.

He says direct return services between Suva and Sydney, Auckland and Port Vila, along with services between Apia-Honolulu and Christmas Island (Kiritimati) to Honolulu are also suspended with immediate effect.

Sayed-Khaiyum says twice a week services between Singapore and Nadi will continue.

He says the suspension schedule will remain in place through the end of May 2020, where further travel restrictions may be announced if necessary.