Fiji could soon enter negotiations with Vanuatu over the management and revenue sharing of upper airspace, following moves by Port Vila to develop a Commercial Upper Airspace Management Policy.
VBTC reports the Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Utilities in Vanuatu, with support from its Ministry of Finance and Economic Management, is preparing a Council of Ministers paper seeking approval to begin talks with Fiji. If approved, a multi-agency taskforce in Vanuatu will lead the discussions.
Currently, Fiji retains close to 92% of the revenue generated from aircraft transiting Vanuatu’s upper airspace, which is managed under Fiji’s Flight Information Region (FIR).
Around 6,000 to 6,500 aircraft pass through Vanuatu’s airspace each year.
In 2017, Vanuatu received about 50 million vatu, equivalent to $940,000 Fiji dollars.
VBTC reports Vanuatu has acknowledged it lacks the infrastructure and human resources to independently manage its upper airspace, while the International Civil Aviation Organization has previously cautioned against fragmenting existing FIRs into smaller sections.
Port Vila says the renegotiation aims to boost its share of airspace revenue and increase its role in management, a move that could impact Fiji’s longstanding control over the sector.