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Cyclone Winston: Virgin Australia and Jetstar cancel services to and from Fiji Cyclone Winston bears down on Fiji, with PM warning of 'ordeal'
(about 5 hours later)
Flights to and from Fiji are being cancelled or brought forward as tropical cyclone Winston bears down on the Pacific island group. Flights to and from Fiji were cancelled on Saturday as the country braced itself for the arrival of Cyclone Winston.
Virgin Australia has cancelled all flights to and from Nadi this weekend, affecting a total of 12 flights departing or arriving at Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. Winston was forecast to pass between the two main populated islands on Saturday night. Many domestic and international flights were cancelled as authorities urged people to secure their homes and not venture outside.
Flights on Monday are being reviewed with a decision likely to be made early on Monday morning. Fiji’s prime minister, Frank Bainimarama, said on Saturday that the island’s evacuation centres were operational and the government was prepared to deal with a potential crisis.
“Affected guests, including guests scheduled to travel to Nadi on Monday, have the option of switching their date of travel or destination with change fees waived or receiving a full travel credit,” a statement from the airline said. “As a nation we are facing an ordeal of the most grievous kind,” he wrote. “We must stick together as a people and look after each other.”
Jetstar has also cancelled all of its services to Fiji this weekend. The US government’s typhoon warning centre said gusts from the cyclone were reaching 360km/h (224mph).
The Fiji Times newspaper reported some damage, including a roof being blown off one home, from some of the nation’s smaller islands to the east as the cyclone began to strike there.
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A return service from the Gold Coast on Saturday and a Sydney-Fiji return service on Sunday are the affected flights. The Times said there had been a run on supermarkets and stores as people stocked up on essential supplies, while a 5pm curfew had been placed on all public transportation, including buses, minibuses and taxis.
Winston, which has intensified to a category-five storm, has already lashed Tonga and is reportedly affecting eastern areas of Fiji. Many people were hoping the cyclone’s path would remain as forecast and thread between the islands of Vanua Levu to the north and Vitu Levu to the south, which is home to the capital Suva, so that both islands would avoid a direct hit. Fiji is home to about 900,000 people.
The storm is forecast to hit the more populated western islands over the weekend. Airlines operating in the region including Virgin Australia, Jetstar, Qantas and Fiji Airways all reported cancelled flights or altered timetables, with passengers told to consult their carrier for information.
At 9am AEDT, the storm was about 320km east-northeast of the capital Suva, travelling at 25km/h. Winston, which has intensified to a category-five storm, has already lashed Tonga.
The storm is carrying average winds of 220km/h, with gusts of up to 315km/h recorded, according to Fiji’s Meteorological Service. With the Associated Press and AAP
Local carrier Fiji Airways, which codeshares with Qantas, has cancelled several inter-island flights while all flights from Australia on Saturday have been cancelled.
Fiji Airways flight 915 from Nadi to Sydney has been cancelled while flight FJ923 to Brisbane has been brought forward by eight hours.
Passengers travelling to Melbourne from Nadi on Fiji Airways have also had their flight advanced by six hours.
A Qantas charter service from Honiara in the Solomon Islands to Nadi on Saturday night has been cancelled, as has the subsequent return service from Nadi to Honiara.