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Pacific Blue Airlines, Virgin Blue’s international carrier, will increase its flights from Australia to Fiji from June this year with the introduction of two new services.
The additions will now increase Virgin Blue’s 20 non-stop flights to and from Sydney and Brisbane to 24 flights a week from June 17, 2008.
Stefan Pichler, the chief commercial officer of Virgin Blue, Australia’s second biggest airline, who announced this in a press meet today afternoon, attributed the growth to increasing demand for flights to Fiji by Australian holiday makers.
He revealed recent provisional statistics that showed Fiji was in the midst of a tourism “sweet spot” for Aussie travellers.
The executives of Virgin Blue are currently in the country holding meetings with key stakeholders of the aviation industry to discuss Pacific Blue’s growth plans for the country.
Pichler says the decision to boost services follows the ongoing and steady demand for Fiji flights, with strong growth experienced for direct flights from Sydney to Brisbane. It was also revealed that the number of Australian residents travelling to Fiji had increased by 23.4 per cent.
He said since Pacific Blue launched flights in September 2004 to March this year, the airline has delivered some 161,000 Australian tourists to Fiji, equivalent to the injection of over $252 million in the local economy.
He also admitted Fiji was presently a major destination for Virgin Blue’s operations highlighting a strong performance in passenger market growth.
“The Brisbane-Fiji passenger market has grown by 66,684 passengers or 82 per cent since Pacific Blue’s entry on this route,” Pichler said.
“The Sydney-Fiji passenger market has grown by 59,143 passengers (26 per cent).”
It is these statistics that Pacific Blue said boosted its confidence to add two weekly services from Brisbane to Fiji on Tuesdays and Saturdays from June 17 this year, taking it to a daily flight frequency.
Interim Tourism Minister Tom Ricketts said Fiji remained a developing nation with an important tourism sector heavily dependent on air services to bring visitors to and carry them within islands of the destination.
“There are also new opportunities for encouraging new carriers while ensuring the ongoing viability and growth of its national carrier. The latter is one that should be supported and encouraged as it contributes to the nation interest in growing tourism arrivals from traditional and new markets to reap the economic benefit,” he said.
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