Praneeta Prakash 
[Photo Credit: Fiji Airports]
Running international flights from Nausori could lead to major financial losses, says the outgoing Chief Executive of Fiji Airways Andre Viljoen.
Viljoen reveals that a single weekly flight to Auckland could result in losses of up to $15 million a year, and expanding to Sydney could push losses to $37 million.
He highlighted this while responding to questions before Standing Committee on Social Affairs.
He says Fiji Airways is reviewing the possibility of operating international flights out of Nausori; however, the current data suggests it may not be financially sustainable.
“A 20-minute flight is a whole maintenance cycle equal to flying a nine-to- ten-hour flight to Los Angeles, or for that matter, to San Francisco. So for 20 minutes, we incur the cost in terms of maintenance that you’d have on a nine-hour flight. So, when you take all those factors into account, the alternative is to place an aircraft overnight in Suva, which will then result in hotel accommodation issues. So its complex and we’re trying our best to see if we can find a solution.”
Viljoen adds that the airline has added more ATR aircraft to enhance domestic connectivity between Suva and Nadi.
“We’ve acquired more ATR aircraft to facilitate the transfer from Suva to Nadi. Now, we can do a lot more to make it smoother. But that is how airlines work around the world. For a 20-minute flight, you acquire aircraft like the ATRs to connect to traffic, as opposed to flying a jet for 20 minutes and incurring all the costs.”
While no firm commitment has been made, Fiji Airways Board Chair Nalin Patel emphasised that the board and management remain open to exploring future options for Nausori.
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