A Cairns Airport spokesperson mentioned the airport is happy with “how properly it has been acquired each regionally and by worldwide markets”. Meanwhile, the airline’s Oneworld membership permits it to focus on Qantas frequent fliers.
“Our product outranks among the greatest airways on the earth, and when individuals expertise our lengthy haul flatbeds with superb in-flight menus and nice in-flight leisure, it’s world-class,” Scurrah mentioned.
The airline additionally connects Fijians throughout the nation.
“Because of that, we’re seeing a quickly growing quantity of enterprise travellers which can be connecting by Fiji to go to all of the factors in our community.”
In 2024, the airline received Skytrax Best Airline in Australia and Pacific.
Fiji Airways additionally flies from Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, Canberra and Melbourne and connects to Honolulu, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Vancouver. In Asia, Fiji Airways flies to Tokyo, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Yet, nearer to residence, Fiji Airways is vital to maintaining the individuals of the sprawling archipelago related, with Scurrah saying it shares a “likeness” to Rex Airlines and “to a different diploma” regional provider QantasHyperlink.
Business class aboard a Fiji Airways A330. But can the airline broaden its fleet sufficient to develop extra?
In this case, the airline isn’t just overlaying 330 islands over 18,300 sq. kilometres, but in addition the broader Pacific area.
“There is a powerful financial want for Fiji Airways to function the best way that we do for the prosperity of the nation,” mentioned Scurrah.
And sure, there are some similarities to the geography of connecting regional Australia, Scurrah says. “But like a whole lot of the routes in Australia which can be important routes, there are preparations with authorities to be sure that it financially works for the airline, and that’s the circumstance we’ve right here in Fiji.”
Any plan to broaden the airline whereas bringing extra vacationers into Fiji faces challenges.
Fiji’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism Viliame Gavoka lately lamented the shortage of lodging for vacationers. “When demand is excessive, we run out of rooms,” Gavoka mentioned, in keeping with the Fiji Times.
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There are additionally questions on how a lot Scurrah can develop Fiji’s enterprise after its in depth growth beneath his predecessor Andre Viljoen. In 2023, it boosted seat capability by 47 per cent whereas including flights to Canberra and Noumea.
Ellis Taylor, Asia Pacific editor at aviation business monitoring service Cirium, mentioned: “Future development is somewhat more durable to see due to its comparatively small fleet which is basically based mostly round three sorts.”
The airline has 23 planes, together with Boeing 737 Max 8s, Airbus A330s and A350s, and smaller turboprops for home use.
The Airbus wide-body planes “are completely suited” for medium-haul routes from Fiji into Asia and North America, whereas the 737s are properly suited to Australia, which is able to stay a significant supply market, mentioned Taylor.
“But development of recent east coast locations [in Australia] could also be difficult, with many of the main locations coated.”
A Fiji Airways A350 on the bottom.
Fiji Airways already faces “nice quantities of competitors” from Jetstar, Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand. Qantas will even be competing on the site visitors to North America, on the premium finish of the market, “whereas Fiji Airways has made a distinct segment of concentrating on extra price-sensitive prospects to realize a foothold in that market”, mentioned Taylor.
In 2023 – the newest 12 months for which the numbers can be found – pre-tax revenue stood at $FJ131.81 million ($88.5 million) on earnings of $FJ1.8 billion. In 2022, the corporate posted a FJ$164.3 million loss on income of $FJ1.06 billion.
Keeping the airline’s funds – any airline’s funds – sturdy is a problem that has turn into acute within the years since COVID.
The Fiji Airways lounge in Nadi.
Scurrah ought to know; he took over as CEO of Virgin Airlines in 2019 because the firm struggled with mounds of debt and unprofitable routes.
When COVID hit in 2020, Scurrah was already dramatically restructuring Virgin’s fleet. When US-based Bain purchased Virgin 5 months later, it successfully adopted the highway map Scurrah had sketched.
Scurrah believes that after COVID airways should be extra uncompromising on sustaining prices, nearly structuring steadiness sheets for one more disaster. His takeaway from his expertise at Virgin: airways “should be a value chief to remain aggressive”.
Navigating a aggressive market just like the Pacific could possibly be the right setting for Scurrah to use the teachings learnt with Virgin.
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