Fiji Airways has received its “new generation” Airbus A350. The new aircraft will extend the airline’s long-haul offerings and add capacity to its northern and eastern routes.
The flag carrier of the Pacific nation has named the plane the Island of Beqa, after an idyllic holiday island south of Suva.
The Island of Beqa will add capacity on popular routes between Fiji and Australia and New Zealand/Aotearoa.
It will also be used for long-haul flights to San Francisco, Vancouver and Hong Kong. The new aircraft also opens up opportunities for the carrier to fly routes deeper into the continental US, Canada or Asia. Dallas, Seattle and Beijing have all been floated as possible new routes for Fiji.
Fiji Airways CEO Andre Viljoen is well aware that tourism is a key industry for the island nation and therefore its biggest airline: "Fiji Airways brings in 70% of all visitors to Fiji. We are crucial to the long-term sustainable growth of the tourism industry which is 45% of our Gross Domestic Product and is 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."
