Solomon Airlines hits out at IASC’s Honiara decision

By Andrew Curran.

13.25 AEDT. 17.03.26. Updated with comments from Solomon Airlines.

Solomon Airlines says it is extremely disappointed by an International Air Services Commission determination approving an application from Qantas to add another 194 seats per week on the Brisbane (BNE) – Honiara (HIR) city-pair.

IASC ticked off on the application despite a Solomon Airlines’ submission opposing it. Qantas intends to start a fifth-weekly E190-100-operated round-trip on the route from March 29, 2026.

In its March 16 determination, IASC acknowledged the Solomon Airlines’ submission but said its primary role was to assess the benefits of the proposal for Australians.

“While the Commission acknowledges the concerns raised by Solomon Airlines regarding commercial impacts, the Commission considers that these primarily relate to the effect of increased competition on Solomon Airlines’ own commercial operations, rather than any demonstrable detriment to Australian public benefit,” reads IASC’s determination.

"We see no additional benefit to Australian travellers, and in contrast we are deeply concerned as to the resulting detriment to the Solomon Islands national carrier, our public and citizens," a Solomon Airlines spokesperson told Aero South Pacific.

"We note that Qantas has also elected to operate mostly on the same days as our existing Solomon Airlines services and often at the same time," the spokesperson added. "As Solomon Islands national carrier we cannot stand by and see our sustainability gradually eroded by a foreign carrier seeking to utilise excess aircraft capacity."

Brisbane - Honiara an important but lightly trafficked route

Qantas has operated four-weekly round-trips between Brisbane and Honiara since 2023, competing against Solomon Airlines’ thrice-weekly A320-200 flights.

The city pair, which under 40,000 passengers travelled on in 2025, is one of the less-important within the Qantas network. However, as Solomon Airlines CEO Paul Abbot said in his early February submission on behalf of the airline, the route was strategically important for Solomon Islanders and a “significant contributor to the overall development of the nation.”

Brisbane is the biggest and best-connected international hub that Solomon Airlines flies to, and the route plays an important role connecting Solomon Islanders to the world. Nonetheless, in this case, strategically important doesn’t equate to a lot of traffic.

Abbot called the proposal by Qantas to run the additional flight (on a day neither airline operated on the route) “a cynical attempt to dump capacity on a struggling route in order to ultimately reduce competition by driving out the only other player in the market.”

IASC offered Qantas the opportunity to respond to Abbot’s submission, but the airline declined.

IASC interested in how competition will benefit Australians

In its determination, IASC noted that Solomon Airlines raised concerned about the “competitive dynamics” on the route. The Commission considers competitive outcomes, but it says its charter is primarily to assess how those outcomes will benefit Australian carriers and travellers.

“The Commission is required to assess Australian public benefit,” the determination says.

“The route is serviced by two operators, each able to compete on scheduling, pricing, product offering, and other commercial dimensions,” IASC’s deterimation adds. “The Commission notes that Qantas’ additional service is proposed on a day not currently served by either carrier, thereby expanding schedule choice and frequency.”

In his submission, Abbot said that passenger demand on the route was in decline, trending down from 52,071 passengers in calendar 2019 to 39,722 last year. He says it is hard to reverse that trend because the country’s tourism product offering is underdeveloped. 

The CEO added that a disproportionate number of higher-yielding government and business travellers on the route favour Qantas because of its frequent flyer programme. But Solomon Airlines continues to operate its international network because it subsidises the loss-making domestic network. However, Abbot said allowing Qantas to put more seats onto the route would simply put a far smaller airline under greater financial pressure.

IASC argues additional capacity will benefit the travelling public

But ultimately, IASC, with its pro-Australian and free-market lean, discounted these arguments.

“The Commission notes that consumer demand is a key driver of airline schedules,” the IASC decision says. “Further, the Commission considers that capacity expansion is generally consistent with promoting competition and enhancing public benefit."

"The introduction of additional frequency on a route is expected to increase consumer choice by improving scheduling options, and may place downward pressure on airfares, as well as stimulating additional passenger traffic.”

The Solomon Airlines spokesperson said the airline will be taking measures to counter what it terms an anti-competitive action and to help ensure the carrier's long-term sustainability.

Aero South Pacific has contacted Qantas for comment.

You can read IASC’s decision here.

Photo: AI-Generated.

Contact the writer: andrew@aerosouthpacific.com