Fiji Airways (FJ) soared to new heights in 2023, carrying a staggering 2.1 million passengers and marking an impressive 57% lift from 2022. Karryon’s MATT LEEDHAM caught up with Fiji Airways’ Chief Marketing and Sales Officer, Akuila Batiweti, at the Fiji Tourism Exchange to find out more about the airline’s success, partnerships and strategic plans for 2024 and beyond.
As best-ever years go, 2023 was one for the ages for Fiji Airways. The national carrier flew a record 2.1 million passengers across its 24 routes worldwide, marking a 57 per cent increase compared to 2022.
Financially, that amounted to a record profit before tax of FJD$131.81 million (AUD$88 million) and operating earnings of FJD$1.8 billion (AUD$1.2 billion) —both of which are the highest ever in the National Airline’s history.
Thanking its workforce, FJ also endorsed a profit share payout of FJD$5,000 (AUD$3,333) to all eligible non-management staff.
Breaking down the numbers, Australia experienced a 21 per cent lift in passengers in 2023. Overall, network growth for 2023 compared to 2022 was 47 per cent.
Elsewhere, network growth for New Zealand rose by 64 per cent in 2023 versus 2022, with the Pacific Islands notching up a huge 421 per cent rise, Asia lifting 276 per cent, and North America by 17 per cent. Fiji’s domestic market also grew by 23 per cent. In total, FJ brings in 70 per cent of arrivals into Fiji.
The introduction of new services from Canberra (three times a week) and Noumea (three times a week) in 2023 further strengthened the airline’s global network.
Just to add a healthy dollop of cream on top, Fiji Airways also received The Skytrax award for Best Airline in Australia & the Pacific 2023, proudly leapfrogging Qantas and Air New Zealand and securing 15th spot in the Skytrax global top 100 airlines. For the third year in a row, FJ also received The Skytrax award for Best Airline Staff in Australia & the Pacific.
Commenting on the airline’s continued success over the last two years, a beaming Akuila Batiweti, Fiji Airways’ Chief Marketing and Sales Officer, tells me, “We simply couldn’t have done it without our trade partners.”
“Coming out of COVID, we went out to the trade and said Fiji needed help. They did not step back; the success was due to wholesalers and travel agents, and we believe we all grew together.”
As one of the few airlines that hasn’t cut agent commissions, Batiweti is keen to emphasise the critical importance of trade partnerships, “We want to continue to work together. There are no plans whatsoever to cut commissions or make it harder for the trade to book with us.
“In fact, our mission is to make it easier for agents to work with us and do business with us,” he says.
What’s the strategy for 2024 and beyond?
Looking ahead to the remainder of 2024, the airline is already ahead of 2023 by 9.5 per cent and on track for another record. That figure could end up far higher since we are still only halfway through the calendar year.
Citing North America as still having the most potential to strengthen its presence in 2024, Batiweti says, “We’ll build on this year by expanding our reach further into North America and exploring new direct destinations, codeshares, and interline agreements.”
And there’s more big FJ news to come: Another direct Nadi to U.S. route is set to launch, which Batiweti says will be announced imminently and operational in the last quarter of 2024.
Other ports in the Pacific, including The Cook Islands, Port Moresby, and American Samoa, are also being considered.
Out of Australia, the possibility of flying from Avalon, Cairns, Newcastle, and the Gold Coast to connect from Nadi onwards is also being explored as part of the airline’s growth plans.
With a mission to expand its position as ‘The Pacific carrier’, the airline has resumed flights to Hong Kong and Tokyo and its full-year service to Vancouver. Partnerships with JetBlue will enhance connectivity in North America, with additional codeshare and interline agreements in the pipeline.
Despite all these achievements and future plans, challenges still persist, including geopolitical uncertainties impacting fuel prices in the Middle East and Ukraine and inflation and rising living costs affecting travel spending, especially for families in Australia and New Zealand, who have always been staple visitors.
Fiji also faces increased competition ex Australia from sea and sun destinations like Bali, Thailand, and Hawaii.
Responding to the task at hand, Fiji Airways says it will focus on staying competitive, innovative and efficient, with marketing remaining a key pillar of Fiji Airways’ strategy. More upcoming deal-driven campaigns aimed at stimulating the market are planned, such as the current airfare sale, which offers round-trip flights from Australia to Fiji from just $569, Tonga from $799, Tokyo and Hong Kong from $929 each, and the USA and Canada from $1,089 and $1,289 respectively.
Premium initiatives such as a brand new fine dining Chef’s Table offering at Fiji Airways Premier Lounge in Nadi are also set to give FJ another edge. Featuring an à la carte 4-course meal with paired drinks prepared by a private chef, passengers flying through Nadi will be able to pre-book either a lunch session or two dinner sessions for a fee of FJD$150 (AUD$100).
The experience will feature seasonal ingredients and an interpretation of Fiji’s story told through food and is scheduled to open in the next few weeks.
The airline is also working on offering the first-ever four-meal choices in economy class on long-haul flights and plans for a 10-minute kerb-to-lounge-premium check-in area at Nadi Airport, aiming to enhance the passenger experience.
An expansion of the popular Fiji Airways Resort check-in stations to new properties, including the Radisson Denarau and the new Crowne Plaza Nadi, is also in the works.
As Fiji Airways charts its growth trajectory for 2024 and beyond, the airline remains poised to navigate challenges and capitalise on opportunities in partnership with the trade, reaffirming its position as a leading carrier in the Pacific region.
Coming off the back of a recent trade roadshow trip to Australia, Batiweti says the importance of the trade relationship has never been stronger.
“We know that travellers in the Australian and New Zealand markets still love walking into a travel agency store and talking to an agent. If something goes wrong on their travels, they can pick up the phone and speak to someone to fix it.
“So we’re not cutting commissions; we are working with our travel trade to increase our seller incentives. We were working with them because we believe that one channel cannot do it alone,” says Batiweti.
Read: FTE 2024: Tourism Fiji on track to beat record 2023; More Australian visitors incoming
The Fiji Tourism Exchange (FTE) 2024 took place from 5-7 May 2024 at the Sheraton Fiji Golf and Beach Resort in Denarau.
