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The International Air Services Commission (IASC) has issued a draft determination which would split capacity allocations on the Fiji route between V Australia and Qantas.
According to the draft determination, which was released on October 22, the IASC proposes to allocate 907 seats to V Australia and 852 seats to Qantas. As a result of transferring earlier awarded capacity from Pacific Blue, it would allow V Australia to operate six weekly Boeing 777-300ER services to Nadi, while Jetstar would be able to operate four services with 213-seat A321s.
Virgin Blue originally applied for an allocation of 1260 seats on August 12, which with the Pacific Blue allocations would allow it to operate a daily 777 service from Sydney to Nadi, in part driven by a need to increase the utilisation of the V Australia fleet. Qantas subsequently launched a competing application for some of that capacity, proposing Jetstar to operate daily A321 services on the same route. Qantas does not operate its own services to Fiji, but has a freesale codeshare agreement with Air Pacific, in which it owns a 46 per cent stake.
V Australia is required to utilise the capacity by December 31 2009, while Jetstar has until April 30 to start its services.
