Fiji Does Not Control Vanuatu's Airspace, Parliament Told

Recent discussion in Vanuatu over the country's upper airspace has prompted officials to clarify that Fiji does not control Vanuatu's sovereign airspace, but instead provides air traffic management services under a long-standing international agreement.

The clarification follows questions raised in the Vanuatu Parliament about how much revenue the country receives from aircraft flying through its upper airspace. During the parliamentary session, Infrastructure Minister Xavier Emanuel Harry confirmed that Fiji manages Vanuatu's upper airspace, as it does for several other Pacific Island nations, but said he would provide Parliament with detailed information on the revenue-sharing arrangements at a later sitting.

In a separate report published this week, Vanuatu Broadcasting and Television Corporation (VBTC) explained that Vanuatu retains full sovereignty over its airspace. However, Fiji provides air traffic management services because Vanuatu does not yet have the infrastructure, specialised equipment or trained personnel required to safely manage upper air traffic on its own.

The arrangement allows Airports Fiji Limited, through the Nadi Flight Information Region, to provide air navigation services for aircraft flying through Vanuatu's upper airspace while ensuring compliance with international aviation safety standards.

The issue attracting attention in Vanuatu is not ownership of the airspace, but how revenue generated from overflying aircraft is shared between the two countries.

According to Vanuatu officials, the current agreement provides Vanuatu with approximately 2.5 per cent of the revenue generated within the Nadi Flight Information Region, while Fiji retains the majority to fund the sophisticated radar systems, communications infrastructure and highly trained air traffic controllers required to provide the service.

The arrangement is not new. In 2017, Vanuatu successfully negotiated a significant increase in its revenue share after deciding it would be more practical to review the agreement with Fiji rather than establish its own independent upper airspace management system, which officials acknowledged would require substantial investment.

More recently, Vanuatu has indicated it wishes to reopen discussions with Fiji to negotiate a greater share of the revenue while also strengthening its role in managing the service in the future.

At the same time, officials have acknowledged the country currently lacks the infrastructure and human resources needed to independently manage its upper airspace.

The discussion has highlighted Fiji's important role in Pacific aviation.

Through the Nadi Flight Information Region, Fiji provides air navigation services across a vast area of the South Pacific, helping ensure the safe movement of thousands of international flights each year under internationally recognised aviation arrangements.

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