The Fijian Government is disappointed by the actions and statements of Qantas, and it categorically denies that it has any intention of taking control of Air Pacific Ltd. The recent Civil Aviation Decree was designed to ensure that Fiji complies with the Chicago Convention and Bilateral Agreements that require national airlines that fly to other countries to be “owned and effectively controlled” by the citizens of that country.
This very point was made by Qantas on 12 March 2012 when they themselves argued to the Australian International Air Services Commission that Virgin Australia was not under the “effective control” of Australian citizens and hence ineligible to transfer capacity on the Indonesian route as Virgin had requested on 23 February 2012.
Fiji’s laws regarding the ownership and control of its national carrier are now the same or similar to those that exist in many other countries, such as the EU, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.
The Fijian Government has no interest or intention to nationalise any company in Fiji. Qantas is welcome to maintain the same rights as a normal minority shareholder, and dividends will be paid as and when declared.