Discover the fascinating history of Fiji Airways ✈️
7Fiji Airways (formerly known as Air Pacific) is the flag carrier of Fiji. It operates international services from its hubs in Fiji to 27 destinations. It has an extended network of 108 international destinations through its codeshare partners. The Fiji Airways Group brings in 64 percent of all visitors who fly to Fiji, employs over 1,000 employees, and earns revenues of over FJD$815 million (US$390m).[2]
The first commercial flight as Fiji Airways was made in 1951 but the airline's origins date back to Katafaga Estates Ltd. formed in 1947. After being acquired by Qantas in 1958, Katafaga Estates was retooled as a regional airline and renamed Air Pacific. In May 2012, MD/CEO David Pflieger announced that as the final part of the airline's successful turnaround, the airline would be returning to its former name of Fiji Airways to reinforce its role as the national airline of Fiji.[3] The Fiji government owns 52% of the airline and Qantas 46%, with the governments of several Pacific island nations holding the remainder.[2][4]
The airline replaced five of its older Boeing 737s with newer Boeing 737 MAX 8 at a list price of around US$110 million each, beginning in 2018. The airline is also currently leasing two Airbus A350-900 aircraft. The 737 MAX 8s and A330-200s are intended for Fiji Airways' services within Oceania, while the Airbus A350-900s and A330-300s are intended for services to long-haul destinations such as the United States, Canada and Singapore.
History
Origins
An Air Pacific de Havilland Heron on its inaugural flight into Marakei Airport, Kiribati
The airline was founded by Australian aviator Harold Gatty who in 1931 had been the navigator on a record-breaking round-the-world flight with Wiley Post. Gatty moved to Fiji after World War II and registered the airline in 1947 as Katafaga Estates Ltd., after the coconut estate Gatty had established on Fiji's eastern island group. Gatty renamed the airline as Fiji Airways in September 1951.[5][6] The New Zealander Fred Ladd was Fiji Airways' first Chief Pilot.[7]
Air Pacific
After Gatty's death in 1958,[6] Fiji Airways was acquired by Qantas.[5] Initially, Qantas tried to create international support for a multinational, shared, regional airline. By 1966 Fiji Airways's shareholders included the governments of Tonga, Western Samoa, Nauru, Kiribati and the Solomon Islands.[5][8] By 1968, Qantas, Air New Zealand, British Overseas Airways Corporation and the Fiji government held equal shareholdings.[9]
After Fiji gained independence from Great Britain in 1970, the new national government began buying shares and the airline was renamed Air Pacific to reflect its regional presence.[4][10]
An Air Pacific HS 748 at Funafuti in 1972
By the early 1970s, seven Pacific island governments, some still under British rule at the time, held shares in Air Pacific, in addition to shares held by Qantas, Air New Zealand and the British Overseas Airways Corporation. However, the regional airline idea lost support as some of the shareholding Pacific island governments sold their shares and created their own national airlines.[6][8]
In the 1970s, tourism became the nation's leading industry, which made the airline even more important to the Fijian economy; and the government of Fiji acquired a controlling interest in Air Pacific in 1974.[5] In 1981, The New York Times published an article that included details on the Fiji government's plan to buy out more shareholders in order to gain more control of Air Pacific as the national airline. However, the airline received no subsidies from the government and had to buy its own aircraft.[5][8]
In the 1990s the airline relocated its headquarters from the capital city of Suva to the coastal town of Nadi where the main international airport is located.[5] The company also constructed an elaborate aircraft maintenance centre there.
The Air Pacific between the 2003 and its rebranding in 2013.
The Air Pacific logo from 2003 to its rebranding in 2013.
In 2007, Air Pacific acquired Sun Air, a domestic airline, renamed it Pacific Sun and began operations as Air Pacific's domestic and regional subsidiary. In May 2012, Managing Director & CEO Dave Pflieger announced that the airline, which was completing a successful turnaround that included restructuring and re-fleeting, would be re-branded as "Fiji Airways" to help enhance sales and marketing of the airline and the south pacific island nation. In June 2014, Pacific Sun was rebranded to Fiji Link.[5][6]
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiji_Airways