Fiji Airways welcomed its newest aircraft with a grand celebration in Nadi this week.
The brand new aircraft named ‘Island of Beqa’ is the third A350 to join the Fiji Airways fleet.
Company Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Mr Andre Viljoen said: “The A350 with its superior cabin, significant fuel savings and substantial cargo capacity has fast become the pride of our airline and the joy of our passengers.
The Island of Beqa is brand new having been put into storage immediately after manufacturing. We were able to negotiate a lucrative deal to acquire it.”
“It combines the very latest aerodynamics, new generation engines and use of lightweight materials, to bring a 25% advantage in fuel burn, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and operating costs compared to previous generation aircraft.”
Viljoen adds the airline is now in a stronger position to explore new destinations.
“Fiji Airways brings in 70 percent of all visitors to Fiji. We are crucial to the long term sustainable growth of the tourism industry which is 45 percent of our Gross Domestic Product and the largest employer in the country.
As the National Airline, we recognise our role is not just to be the bridge to and from the world but to support the growth of tourism, one of the ways we can do this is by introducing new destinations with potential for high tourism opportunities.”
Some destinations that the airline is continually exploring for the future include Dallas, Seattle, Beijing, Shanghai, Seoul and also Noumea, Wallis, Rarotonga, Port Moresby and several additional destinations in Australia.
The Island of Beqa will add more capacity to the airline’s leading source markets of Australia and New Zealand, North American long haul flights to San Francisco and Vancouver, as well as Hong Kong.
