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Fijian government says it’s taking control of Air Pacific

The government of Commodore Frank Bainimarama has issued a decree saying that all Fijian-registered carriers must now be owned and controlled by Fijian nationals.

Fiji already owns a majority stake in the airline, holding 51 per cent of it while Qantas owns 46.3 per cent. But Fijian Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said Qantas since 1998 has exercised effective control over the carrier because Qantas-appointed board members enjoy supermajority and veto rights.

Qantas said it would issue a statement later Wednesday.

"It's an open secret that Qantas has proposed to sell their stake to the Fijian government,'' said Sayed-Khaiyum.

He said the two groups haven't been able to agree on a price and that Fiji is hoping Qantas will agree to a binding independent valuation of its stake. He added the decree has nothing to do with the potential sale.

However, the Fijian government's latest move could negatively impact the value of the stake to Qantas and to any interested third parties.

In a question-and-answer statement on the change, the Fijian government said it is "false and misleading'' to think Fiji is nationalizing the airline and depriving Qantas of its shareholder rights.

Qantas will retain its ownership stake and its right to dividends, according to the Fijian government, but will no longer be able to exercise control over the annual operating budget, the appointment of the airline's chairman, the addition of new routes or a host of other management decisions.

Fiji claims Qantas has been directly competing with Air Pacific through Qantas's wholly owned subsidiary, Jetstar.

Air Pacific is responsible for carrying more than 70 per cent of visitors to Fiji, the government said, making it a vital part of the tourism industry, which accounts for one-third of the Pacific island nation's economy.