Fuel shortage hits Fiji Airways’ flights to Tonga and Tuvalu
By Andrew Curran.
Fuel unavailability at Funafuti Airport (FUN) in Tuvalu and Vava’u Airport (VAV) in Tonga is forcing Fiji Airways to carry additional fuel onboard its aircraft flying to those airports.
As a result, Fiji Airways has issued a travel alert warning that passengers and baggage may be offloaded because of weight and balance requirements.
Fiji Airlines flies thrice-weekly to Vava’u from both Nadi (NAN) and Suva (SUV) using 68-passenger ATR72-600s and twice-weekly between Nadi and Funafuti using the same aircraft type.
“Due to unavailability of fuel in Vava’u until January 9, 2026, aircraft are required to uplift additional contingency fuel from Nadi,” the airline’s alert reads. “As a result, guests and/or checked baggage, ticketed and standby bags may be offloaded due to aircraft weight and balance limitations.”
Fuel shortages an ongoing problem in Tonga and Tuvalu
Tonga faced ongoing fuel shortages throughout 2025, impacting state-owned Tonga Airports Limited, the sole supplier of fuel at Vava’u Airport. The Tongan Government has told locals, irate over petrol rationing and long queues, that fuel supplies are normalising. The main island, Tongatapu, has seen some improved fuel supply since Christmas. However, on outer islands like Vava'u, fuel remains limited.
Meanwhile, around 1,300 kilometres north, Tuvalu has also experienced repeated fuel shortages throughout the past 12 months, repeatedly requiring Fiji Airways to trim its aircraft payloads in order to carry enough fuel to safely operate the return trip.
The airline now says there is no fuel available at Funafuti Airport until January 15, 2026, and, until then, its flights there will not operate at full capacity.
“This situation is beyond our control, and we have been working closely with local partners in Funafuti to resolve the issue as quickly as possible,” the Fiji Airways alert adds.
Like Tonga, Tuvalu is reliant on imported fuel and supply is an ongoing concern. Both nations are slowly transitioning to renewable energies for everyday consumer needs, but imported fossil fuels will continue to power road, sea, and air transport for some time yet.
Pacific Energy is the primary fuel supplier in Tuvalu, sourcing from countries such as New Zealand, Fiji, and Singapore. The same company is one of two fuel suppliers in Tonga. However, it is the country's major supplier of aviation fuel (through Tonga Airports Limited).
Fiji Airways is the only scheduled passenger airline flying into Funafuti and one of two carriers operating to Vava'u. The other carrier is Tonga’s Lulutai Airlines, which services the airport from Tonga’s primary airport, Fuaʻamotu (TBU). According to its website, Lulutai is running its flights as normal and it has issued no fuel related travel alerts.
Photo: AI-generated.
Map: www.gcmap.com
Contact the writer: andrew@aerosouthpacific.com