Fiji Airways and Wellington Airport are this week celebrating a decade of direct flights between the capital city and the island nation—as the carrier flags hopes to move to four times a week on the route.
The Fiji non-stop service is credited with helping to significantly stimulate travel between Wellington and the World over the last 10 years, says WLG Airport. “Thanks to this service, we’ve seen a 60% increase in Wellingtonians travelling to Fiji while the number of Fijian visitors into Wellington has increased 15-fold over the last 10 years,” says WLG ceo Matt Clarke. FJ’s improved connections with Samoa and Tonga are boosting demand, with Fiji a ‘perfect hub for services across the Pacific’, adds Clarke. At the same time an increasing number of international visitor arrivals into New Zealand via the FJ flights ensures the sustainability of the WLG services. FJ ceo Andre Viljoen says the carrier’s direct flights between Wellington and Nadi have increased to up to three times a week, ‘highlighting the demand for this route and the importance of the New Zealand market —our second biggest source of arrivals’.
. . . Trade
At a trade function in Wellington last night FJ regional manager Sheryn Ambler thanked the agents for their ongoing support on the route. She also talked up the FJ potential from the capital. “We’d love to get our Wellington service up to four times a week, but we need your support to do that, because the trade is our biggest [channel] for the flights,” says Ambler. “Also, think of beyond Fiji to Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, LA, San Francisco and Dallas. We need your help to change that perception that you need to fly out of other airports to get to these destinations.”
See events galleries for photos from the event
