Fiji Airways Adding Two Airbus A350s To Its Fleet

Fiji Airways is set to acquire two more Airbus A350-900s, bringing its long-haul fleet total to eight aircraft. The additional aircraft will help the carrier to meet the increasing demand for travel to and from its hub at Nadi International Airport (NAN).

Fiji removed the last of its travel restrictions earlier this year, and with restrictions now also a thing of the past in the majority of its markets, Fiji Airways has experienced a significant rebound in passenger numbers over recent months. The healthiest booking figures have been from Australia, New Zealand, and the US.

Speaking at the Tourism Investment Summit, the Fijian Minister of Civil Aviation, Viliame Gavoka, highlighted the strength of the recovery, saying that Fiji Airways is now seeing more bookings than it did in 2019. He also made reference to the two additional Airbus A350-900s, but no timescales were mentioned as to the aircraft’s delivery dates.

Photo: Angel DiBilio | Shutterstock

This week, the carrier has resumed flights to two significant Asian markets – Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) and Tokyo Narita Airport (NRT). According to Gavoka, Fiji Airways also intends to launch flights to Seoul Incheon (ICN), although no official announcement from the airline has been made. He said,

“This week, Fiji will welcome back twice-weekly flights between Nadi and Hong Kong, following which Fiji Airways will fly to Narita, Japan, and Seoul, South Korea.”

Gavoka went on to reiterate that Fiji Airways has the government’s full backing, supporting growth in a controlled and sustainable way.

Fiji Airways’ widebody fleet

Fiji Airways already has two Airbus A350-900s in its widebody fleet, in addition to three Airbus A330-200s and one Airbus A330-300. According to data from ch-aviation.com, the aircraft have an average age of 3.4 years, 9.9 years, and 7.3 years, respectively.

Photo: Airbus

The Airbus A350-900 remains the largest aircraft in the airline’s fleet, with a maximum capacity of 334 passengers in a two-class configuration – 33 in business class and 301 in economy class. Meanwhile, Fiji Airways’ Airbus A330-200s seat a total of 273 passengers, with the carrier’s sole Airbus A330-300 capable of carrying up to 313 passengers.

Further expansion on the horizon

With its recovery from the pandemic now well underway, Fiji Airways is looking at growing its route network. In addition to boosting frequency and capacity on existing routes, where might Fiji Airways send its two new Airbus A350-900s when they arrive?

Photo: Vancouver International Airport

At the end of last year, the airline’s chief executive officer, Andre Viljoen, hinted at further expansion into the US, with routes to South America also being considered. The airline currently flies to three West Coast destinations – Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), and Vancouver International Airport (YVR), with its inaugural flight to the Canadian city touching down in November 2022. South America would be a totally new market for Fiji Airways.

Have you flown on one of Fiji Airways’ Airbus A350s? How would you rate your experience with the airline? Do you see further expansion from the airline in North and South America? Let us know by commenting below.

Source: Aviation Source News, ch-aviation.com