Fiji Airways will launch two weekly flights between Sydney and Suva next May in a service that is expected to cater for business as well as leisure traffic.
The flights will depart Suva at 12.25pm on Mondays and Fridays with the return leaving Sydney at 4.30pm and arriving at 10.40pm, Fiji time.
The carrier also said it will launch flights from Suva to Apia in Samoa on its subsidiary Pacific Sun, soon to be rebranded as Fiji Link.
The timing of the return from Samoa will enable passengers to connect with flights to Sydney, Auckland, Brisbane and Nuku’alofa in Tonga.
Fiji Airways chief executive Stefan Pichler said the Sydney-Suva flights, to be operated by B737-700 aircraft, will also open up Pacific Harbour and the outer islands of Kadavu and Toberua for tourism.
But he said business traffic will also be an important market for the flights.
With Nadi catering largely for leisure passengers, Suva will act as more of a “business hub”, he told Travel Today.
Further route and fleet developments are expected to be announced early in the new year as the carrier embarks on a five-year strategic plan.
Pichler said the Australia to Fiji market has performed “quite well” in 2013.
“We benchmark against Virgin Australia more than Jetstar and there has been pricing and yield stability in 2013,” he said.
Fiji Airways now operates three A330 aircraft having retired its final 747 last month.
