Not interested in Seoul flights says Fiji Airways CEO

By Andrew Curran.

Fiji Airways CEO Paul Scurrah has hosed down speculation about the airline resuming flights to Seoul (ICN), telling the Fiji Times over the weekend that the route would not currently be financially viable.

This follows Tourism Minister Viliame Gavoka telling Fiji's parliament last week that he was trying to get Korean Air to restart flights to Fiji. Both Fiji Airways and Korean Air axed their Seoul - Nadi (NAN) flights in 2019

The airline last flew to Seoul in 2019, when Fiji recorded 6,840 annual visitor arrivals from South Korea, a figure Scurrah said was “insufficient to sustain a widebody service operating two to three times per week”.

In the 12 months to March 31, 2026, Fiji recorded 1,768 South Korean visitors, around 25% of the 2019 figure that was itself insufficient to support the flights. However, these passenger numbers do not include other passengers of other nationalities who connected to Fiji in Seoul.

“Fiji Airways approaches any assessment of new route viability with rigorous commercial discipline,” said Scurrah, who became Fiji Airways CEO late last year.

"Should Korean Air restore direct services to Nadi, Fiji Airways anticipates increased competitive pressure on its Asian routes, including those serving other regional destinations."

Korean Air stopped flying to Fiji after losing FJD5 million (USD2.3 million) annually on the route. However, the airline carried significant numbers of European tourists to Fiji via its Seoul hub. Tourism is critical to Fiji's economy.

Gavoka is keen to tap into that tourist traffic again but did not say how he planned to convince Korean Air to resume flights on a loss-making route. However, he did say he had a meeting with Korean Air's president.

Scurrah said most Fiji–South Korea passenger traffic now transits through hubs such as Hong Kong (HKG), Tokyo Narita (NRT), and Singapore (SIN).

“Fiji Airways remains committed to providing seamless international connectivity for travellers to and from Fiji,” he said.

“These multiple pathway options ensure that long-haul travellers from the UK and Europe are well served regardless of changes in the competitive landscape.”

Photo: AI-Generated.

Contact the writer: andrew@aerosouthpacific.com