Solomon Airlines has accused Qantas of trying to kick it off the Brisbane-Honiara route as Flying Kangaroo looks to expand its services.
In a submission to the International Air Services Commission (IASC), the Solomon Islands’ flag carrier said that while Brisbane-Honiara is the “largest international route” for the Solomon Islands and a “significant contributor to the nation’s overall development”, passenger numbers remain low.
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Qantas is looking to operate an additional weekly service to Honiara using wet-leased Alliance E190s from March 29, which would reduce its weekly flights to the Solomon Islands from four to five.
“While the importance of the route is outlined, it is recognized that the route’s traffic numbers are insignificant compared to most other international routes and have not shown a return to pre-COVID levels post-COVID and, in fact, have declined and continue to do so,” Solomon Airlines CEO Paul Abbot wrote.
“Given the state of the current market and its likely position in the short to medium term, the additional service would appear to be a cynical attempt to shed capacity on a struggling route to ultimately reduce competition by driving out the only other player in the market.”
Only 39,722 passengers traveled on the route in 2025, according to Solomon Airlines figures, well below the 52,071 in 2019, and 2023-24 also saw a progressive drop in traffic. Australian travelers alone decreased by 7.9 percent between 2023 and 2024.
“The market has not grown and is in fact declining, and there is little chance of this situation changing, given that the Solomon Islands’ tourism product offering is underdeveloped and unable to support and increase visitor numbers, nor is there any notable commercial activity to drive increased travel,” Abbot wrote.
While Qantas previously codeshared with Solomon Airlines on the route, Flying Kangaroo launched its own service after the deal ended in 2023 that “just… continues[ed] he [Solomon Airlines] calendar and schedules,” according to Abbot.
Both Qantas and Solomon Airlines currently fly between Brisbane and Honiara on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with Solomon Airlines also flying on Saturdays and Qantas on Sundays.
“There is no increase in schedule choice for travelers as both airlines operate the same days and generally the same schedules,” Abbot wrote.
“Qantas would suggest that the addition of the fifth service would offer this option, but given that both operators operate in a stagnant and declining market, the additional service will not grow the market but will simply cannibalize existing services.
“Due to the power of the Qantas Frequent Flyer program and the airline’s access to Australian-based corporate and government contracts, Qantas takes a disproportionate share of the highest-performing market segments, which has eroded the viability of the route from Solomon Airlines’ point of view.”
Additionally, Abbott told the IASC that allowing Qantas to increase flights would have “serious implications for the future of domestic aviation and connectivity within the Solomon Islands”, as Solomon Airlines currently operates out of 23 ports domestically across the country.
“Due to the large distances that must be flown and the small number of people flying (domestic travelers number less than 50,000), there is not the scale to mount a viable national operation,” he wrote.
“International routes and the Solomon Islands government subsidize the domestic operation, which then helps provide the nation with much-needed connectivity.
“If the international operation were forced to downsize or cease operations, the result for domestic travelers would be catastrophic, as in most ports there are no travel options other than open sea travel by small craft.
“Solomon Airlines respectfully requests that Qantas’ service increase request on the Brisbane to Honiara route be rejected based on the national interest for the people of Solomon Islands and the future of Solomon Islands domestic operations. [and] a cynical attempt to use market position to ultimately reduce competition, resulting in a lack of competitive options.”
Qantas has said it will work constructively with the IASC in the process.
