Canberrans get into buy mode and snap up thousands of tickets

Canberrans were buying hundreds an hour after the promotional fares were announced for the first direct flights from the airport to any foreign destination since the pandemic.

Fiji Airways is charging a fare of $439 for a return from Canberra direct to and from Nadi International Airport. With baggage, the cost is $499 return. The flight from Canberra is cheaper than direct flights from Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne to Fiji.

In its "Fiji on sale" promo, the airline lists return fares from Sydney as $549, from Melbourne as $715 and from Brisbane as $579.

The direct flights from Canberra start in July. Two a week are currently planned, rising to three. Fiji Airways and Qantas are in the same airline group so things like airmiles and rights to lounges are shared between the two.

"Since we announced the flight, we have had 3,000 bookings so there must be something there. The minute we announced it, the bookings picked up," Deputy Prime Minister Viliame Gavoka said at an event at the airport.

He conceded fares could rise but said they would remain "competitive".

Fiji is clearly investing much in the link with Canberra. The new route was trumpeted at the ceremony at the airport with traditional dancers. The country has done a sponsorship deal with the Brumbies.

The Fiji flights would be the first direct international route from Canberra airport since the pandemic which prompted the Singapore and Qatar airlines to pull out.

Fiji Airways chief executive Andre Viljoen said his airline had conducted extensive market research on the Canberra route before deciding on its new service.

"As Fiji's National Airline, we are proud to be flying to the capital of Australia," he said.

"We are pleased to be able to provide the people of Canberra the only direct flights to Nadi, facilitating a seamless holiday experience which begins the moment they step on board."

Canberra to Nadi would be a four-hour flight. It would be what the chief executive called "your gateway to paradise".

Mr Viljoen said the new service had been made possible because the airline had added two new Airbus A350s to its fleet.

Apart from the benefit to Canberra and its passengers of not having to transit in Sydney or Brisbane, the return of an international airline puts Canberra back on the international flight map.

Mr Thomson said earlier this year, "Our top priority this year is to connect Canberra internationally. We are focused on resuming services to the Middle East and Singapore and new services to the South Pacific and New Zealand."

While Fiji has stepped forward, Qatar has delayed its return - so the hope now is that Fiji Airway's decision will prompt others to follow.

The return of international flights to Canberra will mean Border Force officials at the airport so full processing of incomers and outgoing travellers can be done.

As the pandemic eased, the Qatar said initially it would resume flights from Canberra on October 1 last year. It then postponed the date to early December. The airport hoped the airline would be back by April 1 this year but that didn't happen.

"We know Qatar Airways is committed to Canberra and how important it is for them to connect to the nation's capital and the seat of government," Mr Thomson said two months ago.

The other international airline which flew in and out of Canberra before the pandemic - Singapore Airlines - is yet to name any date for a return.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Fiji was in the top 10 countries for Australian international travel for 2022.

National Capital Attractions Association and Canberra Region Tourism Industry Council general manager Debra Beetham said the announcement will also do wonders for Canberra's tourism industry.

The flights won't just serve those within the ACT border, but also those living nearby in towns and rural areas, she said.

"People will be coming into Canberra to utilise this new offer, and we hope it will introduce them to what the city itself has to offer," she said.

"People may choose to stay in Canberra for a while before they fly out, which means a benefit to the tourism industry here as a whole."

She said she was sure the announcement will be followed by other international flights soon, which will only further aid the post-pandemic tourism market in Canberra.

"The restarting of international travel in Canberra will help change the face of the city, and people will be able to see that it is more than just a country capital now," she said.

"Fiji is just the beginning point. Negotiations are definitely under way."

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