apacau
14th May 2004, 04:53
This release just came through:
AIR PACIFIC UPS CAPACITY – ADDS CANBERRA
Fiji’s international airline, Air Pacific, will add three flights a week to its Australia-Fiji schedule in the peak July-October 2004 winter period, including for the first time two non-stop Canberra-Nadi services.
It will be the first time scheduled direct international air services have operated into Canberra.
An additional Boeing 747-400 will be introduced on Melbourne-Nadi services effective June 5.
Air Pacific, now in its 53rd year, was the first carrier in the world to obtain extended twin engines over water operations (ETOPS) for its Boeing 737-700 aircraft and subsequently its Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
It will operate 118-seat “New Generation” Boeing 737-700 aircraft on the twice-weekly Canberra-Nadi services with a Canberra departure time of 1.30pm on Sunday and Thursday. Flying time of a little more than four hours means a convenient Fiji arrival for transfer to mainland resorts.
It operates these aircraft on Brisbane-Nadi, Sydney-Suva, Melbourne-Nadi, Auckland-Nadi services as well as Nadi-Honolulu-Vancouver and now Canberra. In New Zealand Air Pacific is reintroducing Christchurch-Nadi services.
The expansion of services will bring Brisbane-Nadi to daily 154-seat 737-800 flights and Melbourne’s capacity will increase with two 458-seat Boeing 747-400 and three 256-seat Boeing 767-300 services weekly. There are no changes to existing daily Boeing 747-400 Sydney-Nadi and twice-weekly Boeing 737-800 Sydney-Suva services.
Canberra is a key segment in Fiji’s overall New South Wales market. Its climate in winter months makes it a market well disposed to a Fiji holiday with a range of three or four day short breaks or seven or 10 day packages.
“Fiji’s climate in the July-October period is quite the opposite to Canberra with warm days and cool nights, Air Pacific’s Regional General Manager Australia, Victor Sharan, said.
The additional flights bring Australia to Fiji services to 23 weekly and Air Pacific had the ability to increase services on all routes based on commercial demand, the airline’s Australian Regional General Manager, he said.
“New flights and improved schedules not only represent a growth in airline activity but more importantly provide new opportunities for Australians to enjoy a winter break in one of the best value, friendly and beautiful countries in the region,” he said. “We’re developing a marketing and promotional program in association with the Fiji Visitors Bureau and Fiji’s travel industry to offer great value holidays to suit all Australians budgets”.
The new Canberra-Nadi services would also provide convenient connections with Air Pacific’s services from Fiji to Honolulu, Los Angeles and Vancouver, Mr Sharan said.
Throughout its Pacific Rim markets of Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the United States and Canada, Air Pacific had added 33 per cent growth to operate 26,400 weekly or 1.37 million seats annually to and from Fiji, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, John Campbell, said, which was more than sufficient to meet Fiji’s expected tourism growth and to encourage a visitor target of 455,000 to be exceeded.
AIR PACIFIC UPS CAPACITY – ADDS CANBERRA
Fiji’s international airline, Air Pacific, will add three flights a week to its Australia-Fiji schedule in the peak July-October 2004 winter period, including for the first time two non-stop Canberra-Nadi services.
It will be the first time scheduled direct international air services have operated into Canberra.
An additional Boeing 747-400 will be introduced on Melbourne-Nadi services effective June 5.
Air Pacific, now in its 53rd year, was the first carrier in the world to obtain extended twin engines over water operations (ETOPS) for its Boeing 737-700 aircraft and subsequently its Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
It will operate 118-seat “New Generation” Boeing 737-700 aircraft on the twice-weekly Canberra-Nadi services with a Canberra departure time of 1.30pm on Sunday and Thursday. Flying time of a little more than four hours means a convenient Fiji arrival for transfer to mainland resorts.
It operates these aircraft on Brisbane-Nadi, Sydney-Suva, Melbourne-Nadi, Auckland-Nadi services as well as Nadi-Honolulu-Vancouver and now Canberra. In New Zealand Air Pacific is reintroducing Christchurch-Nadi services.
The expansion of services will bring Brisbane-Nadi to daily 154-seat 737-800 flights and Melbourne’s capacity will increase with two 458-seat Boeing 747-400 and three 256-seat Boeing 767-300 services weekly. There are no changes to existing daily Boeing 747-400 Sydney-Nadi and twice-weekly Boeing 737-800 Sydney-Suva services.
Canberra is a key segment in Fiji’s overall New South Wales market. Its climate in winter months makes it a market well disposed to a Fiji holiday with a range of three or four day short breaks or seven or 10 day packages.
“Fiji’s climate in the July-October period is quite the opposite to Canberra with warm days and cool nights, Air Pacific’s Regional General Manager Australia, Victor Sharan, said.
The additional flights bring Australia to Fiji services to 23 weekly and Air Pacific had the ability to increase services on all routes based on commercial demand, the airline’s Australian Regional General Manager, he said.
“New flights and improved schedules not only represent a growth in airline activity but more importantly provide new opportunities for Australians to enjoy a winter break in one of the best value, friendly and beautiful countries in the region,” he said. “We’re developing a marketing and promotional program in association with the Fiji Visitors Bureau and Fiji’s travel industry to offer great value holidays to suit all Australians budgets”.
The new Canberra-Nadi services would also provide convenient connections with Air Pacific’s services from Fiji to Honolulu, Los Angeles and Vancouver, Mr Sharan said.
Throughout its Pacific Rim markets of Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the United States and Canada, Air Pacific had added 33 per cent growth to operate 26,400 weekly or 1.37 million seats annually to and from Fiji, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, John Campbell, said, which was more than sufficient to meet Fiji’s expected tourism growth and to encourage a visitor target of 455,000 to be exceeded.