Fiji Airways today launches its first flights between Sydney and Suva, giving Australians direct access to the island-nation's capital city as well as Fiji's east coast islands such as Beqa and Vatulele.
The airline will offer two direct flights each week, on Mondays and Fridays, with a morning departure from Suva at 10.15am and an afternoon departure from Sydney at 2.20pm.
The new service will run on a Boeing 737-700 aircraft with 8 business class seats (shown below) and 114 seats in economy.
The Sydney-Suva shuttle is intended to complement Fiji Airways' current flights into the island's primary gateway of Nadi, a larger hub which is located on the other side of the island to Suva.
"We see Suva as Fiji's business hub and Nadi as the leisure hub" Fiji Airways CEO Stefan Pichler told Australian Business Traveller.
"Most of the travel generated ex-Suva is not so much leisure, it's more businesses, government and NGOs."
Pichler says the Monday and Friday flights of the Sydney-Suva schedule are designed to give business travellers three full days for meetings.
He also intends to add more flights between Australia and Fiji, along with other regional destinations, but this will be done "in the next couple of years, step by step by step", so as not to flood the market with excess capacity.
Pichler is also looking to expand its partnership with Qantas to include codeshared flights, but he sees no value in joining airline alliance familes such as oneworld, Star Alliance and SkyTeam.
Next month will also see Fiji Airways debut a new route between Suva to Samoa (Apia) operated by its subsidiary Pacific Sun, which is soon to be rebranded as Fiji Link.
The Suva-Apia services will use the airline's new ATR-72 turboprop and operate on Mondays and Fridays, while the return Apia-Suva flights will operate in the mornings of Tuesday and Saturday.
Read: Fiji Airways unveils new Fiji Link regional brand, livery
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David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards platnium
30 Nov 2013
Total posts 43
There's a good idea traveling to the nations actual capital not just nadi!
12 Mar 2014
Total posts 128
It would be nice if Canberra could post a similar achievement!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 May 2011
Total posts 362
SYD-SUV? Why not? Their AKL-SUV flights are doing so well, said no one ever
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
10 Jan 2012
Total posts 258
It's worth a try. NF do a 1x weekly SON-BNE flight in addition to VLI-BNE.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 May 2011
Total posts 362
Absolutely true. You don't know unless you try huh?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 May 2012
Total posts 76
So you finish a great holiday in Fiji only to land in AKL at 0255, i think a lot of people will fly back from Nadi.
15 Dec 2013
Total posts 42
The SUV-AKL-SUV flights are not at night.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 May 2012
Total posts 76
AKL is the code for Auckland. Any other one line comments bryce05?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
20 Dec 2013
Total posts 5
This will be a big hit with the locals travelling to Suva, as in the past, these flights were fully booked. Well done Fiji Airways for recommencing this route. Vinaka
25 Sep 2013
Total posts 1242
God that new livery is beautiful. And on such an elegant bird as the A330 as well.
22 Mar 2012
Total posts 200
Wondering why the main image for this story is an A330 when this route will be run on a 737-700? lol
24 Oct 2010
Total posts 2563
Whoops, CMS glitch mixed up two images - all sorted now CL9!
22 Mar 2012
Total posts 200
The new livery is still stunning even on the 737! :)
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