Virgin Blue to add more flights to Fiji
Virgin Blue Airlines is planning to add more flights to develop its Fiji market, according to the airline’s Head of Commercial International, Karam Chand, with the New Zealand based Virign Blue owned Pacific Blue currently offering 10 direct flights a week from Australia to Fiji.
Mr Chand said, “Currently we have 10 flights but we need to finalise our plan to add capacity and as the market keeps growing we keep on adding capacity.”
He added that currently, the airline had about 65% capacity on its flights to Fiji but there was room for improvement, adding, “Most airlines are happy when they have 70% or 75% full, but if you have any more than that that means in the peak period you are 100% full!”
“Our perspective is that there are some opportunities for us to grow the current flights and carry more passengers.”
Pacific Blue entered the Fiji market in September 2004 and Mr Chand said that since then, the number of people travelling between Fiji and Australia had grown by 142,000 passengers, an increase of 36%.
He said the airline was working hard to help Fiji’s tourism industry recover, and had launched tourism campaigns, but Mr Chand said as a result of the political unrest, the airline’s Fiji passengers had dropped by 40%.
Report by The Mole
John Alwyn-Jones
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