Fiji Airways is a Top 10 airline
Travelling with Fiji Airways, I always opt for the chicken curry main when it is available. I know that it will be reliably good, with a generous amount of tomato chutney on the side, if a little light on the chili.
So a recent tasting of Fiji Airways new business class meals was a revelation.
The menu we sampled included nama-topped crudo, smoked chicken with watermelon cubes, a cumquat cheesecake that was the perfect combination of sweet and sour. And the dish of the day? Roasted cauliflower dusted with edible flowers and micro- greens from Taveuni, accompanied by pinenuts and raisins and a delicious garlic cream sauce.
The menu is just one of the changes at Fiji Airways that has seen it named as one of APEX’s Top Ten airlines in the world.
The APEX (Airline Passenger Experience Association) awards recognise excellence in a range of categories, including seat comfort, cabin service, food and beverage, entertainment and Wi-Fi, and is judged anonymously.
For an airline of Fiji Airways’ size to be named in the global top 10 so soon after the destruction Covid-19 wrought on our tourism industry, and in such a short preparation period (just six months), is a remarkable achievement.
The new menu is part of that world class experience.
Fiji Airways Executive Chef Rafaele Galuvakadua says they are aiming for a “fine dining experience in the sky.”
Galuvakadua grew up in Lami and says he started cooking at 13 years of age, inspired by his mother’s passion for food and baking skills. His first brush with the hospitality sector was on a student placement at a local hotel, where he was pointed in the direction of a mountain of dalo and coconuts to peel and scrape for a 200-person function.
Now he leads a team of 15 chefs and oversees the menus across all of Fiji Airways flights to 25 international destinations, from Dallas to Sydney, Tokyo to Tarawa. While Fiji Airways designs the menus and meals on its flights, they are prepared by what Galuvakadua describes as the “engine room” at Air Terminal Services (ATS).
Fiji Airways’ cabin crew freshly finish and plate the meals onboard to ensure restaurant-quality presentation. They’re also encouraged to talk about their connection to the food they are offering, whether it is a memory of gathering nama for a team member from the Yasawas, or simply their favorite dish on the menu. The new Pacific Rim inspired menu – which draws from Oceania, Asian and North American influences – is currently only available on select flights, although it will roll out across all routes by July 2026.
The service also includes locally made cold-pressed juices, a curated wine list with premium varieties from New Zealand, Australia, and California, signature cocktails and mocktails featuring locally distilled Blue Turtle Gin Fiji and Fijian Bati Rum, and a square of local chocolate to finish.
Fiji Airways has also launched ‘Dine on Demand’ in business class on several long-haul flights, which means passengers can eat what they want, when they are hungry, rather than only at set times.
In economy class, meal options have also been refreshed and a new signature mocktail and cocktail is on offer, with hot chocolate and new snack and beverage choices available throughout the journey.
Fiji Airways –particularly its warm cabin crew – is a source of pride for many Fijians. The dramatic up- grading of its services across the cabin and classes, and recognition of these efforts globally, should be celebrated. The airline clearly understands how to cater for its international guests, and the large number of locals and the Fijian diaspora who travel its many routes. And for that reason, it’s good to see that its reliable, if now elevated Fijian-style chicken curry, remains on the business class menu alongside the new offerings. The new menu is a mix of comfort and refinement.
Fiji Traveller was a guest of Fiji Airways.
