Solomon Airlines CEO slams Qantas’ Honiara application

By Andrew Curran.

The outgoing Solomon Airlines chief executive officer has accused Qantas of dumping capacity on the Honiara (HIR) – Brisbane (BNE) city-pair in a “cynical attempt” to become the sole operator on the lightly trafficked but strategically important route.

In a February 4, 2026, response to an application by Qantas to the International Air Services Commission to operate an additional weekly round-trip on the city-pair, Paul Abbot said the route was declining and asked that the Qantas application be rejected on national interest grounds and because it was an attempt to reduce competition. Abbot’s response was first reported by Australian Aviation.

The CEO said the Honiara – Brisbane city pair is the largest international route linking the Solomon Islands to Australia and beyond. He says it provides a vital link between the Solomon Islands and a bigger, better-connected country.

A poorly connected country

As the Aero South Pacific Solomon Islands Country Brief notes, the Solomon Islands is poorly connected to the rest of the world. Including the state-owned carrier, just four scheduled passenger airlines fly to Honiara International and there are non-stop flights to just four countries from the airport.

Across 2019, just 52,071 passengers flew on the Honiara – Brisbane city pair.

“Whilst outlining the importance of the route, it is acknowledged that the route traffic numbers are insignificant when compared with most other routes internationally,” Abbot’s submission says.

In 2025, traffic on the city-pair had fallen to 39,722 – the third consecutive year of decline in the post-Covid era.

“The market has not grown and, in fact, is in decline, and there is little likelihood that this situation will change given the Solomon Islands tourism product offering is underdeveloped and is not capable to support and increase the number of visitors and there is also no commercial activity of note which would drive increased travel,” added Abbot.

Having formerly operated as a code share partner with Solomon Airlines on the Honiara – Brisbane city-pair, Qantas started its own services in 2023 using wet-leased Alliance Airlines E190s.

“But rather than increasing the schedule options across the week, Qantas simply moved to follow the Solomon Airlines’ schedule and timings,” Abbot notes.

Solomon Airlines CEO says extra flights offer no benefit to travellers

In its January 2026 application, Qantas asked for an allocation of 97 seats per week in each direction to operate a fifth weekly E190 round-trip on the Brisbane – Honiara city-pair. The additional flight would operate on a Tuesday – one of the days neither airline currently flies on the route.

But Abbot maintains that the extra Qantas flight would offer no increase in schedule choice for travellers with both carriers operating the same days and, "in general," the same timings.

“Qantas would suggest the addition of the fifth service would offer this choice but given both carriers are operating in a stagnant and declining market, the additional service will not grow the market but will simply cannibalise existing services,” he argues.

Qantas declined to comment on the Solomon Airlines submission.

Abbot was appointed interim CEO in mid-2025, replacing Sean Te'o. Recently, Matthew Findlay was appointed the new permanent CEO. He will take up the role shortly. However, during his short tenure, Abbot has proved an effective CEO and moved to shore up and improve Solomon Airlines’ market position.

“Due to the power of the Qantas Frequent Flyer programme and the airline's access to Australian-based corporate and government contracts Qantas take a disproportionate percentage of the higher yielding market segments which has eroded the viability of the route from a Solomon Airlines point of view,” Abbot says.

“Based on the above conditions, Solomon Airlines' ability to support the non-commercial domestic operation is seriously compromised.”

“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 dump capacity on a struggling route in order to ultimately reduce competition by driving out the only other player in the market.”

CEO says Qantas application is not in the national interest

Abbot also says there is more at stake than simply forcing a smaller competitor off a single route. He says Solomon Airlines exiting the Honiara – Brisbane city-pair would have serious implications for domestic aviation and connectivity within the Solomon Islands.

Solomon Airlines' domestic flights provide an essential service for a small number of Solomon Islanders spread across many islands. These flights are often commercially unviable and subsidised by the Solomon Islands Government. This subsidy then allows Solomon Airlines to operate some international routes that are “stagnant” but provide Solomon Islanders with much needed links to better connected airports.

For its part, Qantas has some form when it comes to entering marginal regional routes serviced by a single, far smaller operator. Regional Express (REX) used to regularly highlight this tactic.

“Should the international operation be forced to downsize or cease operations, the result for domestic travellers would be catastrophic, as for most ports there are no other travel options apart from open sea travel in small craft,” said Abbot.

He argues the Qantas application is an attempt to use its market position to reduce competition, resulting in a lack of choices, particularly for Solomon Islanders, and should therefore be rejected. In one of his last hurrahs as CEO, Abbot says the application runs contrary to the Solomon Islands’ national interest and the future of domestic Solomon Island operations.

Photo: Solomon Airlines.

Contact the writer: andrew@aerosouthpacific.com