Fiji Airways

Tonga Prime Minister and Lulutai team meet Fiji Airways management

A statement said the delegation had great meeting with the airline’s Chief Executive Officer and senior Staff at the company's head office in Nadi last week.

Joined by the Chief Executive Officer Poasi Tei and staff, the delegation toured the facility and viewed flight simulators and the cabin crew training facility.

Fiji Airways currently flies their Fiji Link ATR aircraft from Tongatapu to Vava'u in an arrangement while the Lulutai aircraft is under repair and maintenance.

 

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Fiji airline to provide services to Vava’u as Tonga Government works on Lulutai Airways aircraft safety

Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku confirmed this in a press conference with members of the media at the St George Building in Nuku’alofa on Monday.

A Government statement said this follows the withdrawal of the domestic airline’s 34 seat Saab 340 aircraft for urgent repairs.

“Government is focused on providing safe services for all passengers who choose to fly with Lulutai and has decided to pull the aircraft off service so that repairs and maintenance work can be done urgently,” Hu’akavameiliku said.

Fiji welcomes return of 737 Max planes to the skies

The Civil Aviation Authority says it has adopted service requirements of the US regulator Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for Boeing 737 Max aircraft operated by Fiji Airways.

The Fiji authority said the FAA had signed an order in November that allowed the 737 Max to return to the skies.

Earlier the Max was pulled from service after two planes crashed in Indonesia in 2019 and Ethiopia in 2018, killing all 346 people on board.

Fiji Airways to appeal tribunal order over workers' claims

The flight attendants, laid off by the company last year, challenged the airline's attempt to dismiss their grievance claims.

The tribunal accepted the argument of the 245 flight attendants that their appeal provisions in the collective agreement with the airline only applied to disciplinary dismissals.

The court dismissed an application by Fiji Airways to strike out the cabin crews' grievance claims on the basis that they failed to file an appeal under the Collective Agreement.

Fiji Airways extends use of flight credits

Since March 2019, Fiji Airways has suspended its international operations impacted by the border closures across its destinations.

In a statement, CEO Andre Viljoen said the airline's objective is to ensure customers did not lose their bookings.

"The extension for use of flight credits by another 12 months will allow customers to choose another travel time that suits their circumstances and requirements.

"We will continuously review this policy and make further adjustments if required," Viljoen said.

Fiji Airways to operate special flight

The airline said the aircraft would spend more than two hours in Fiji's skies before returning.

The airline said it would also use the flight to prepare staff and guests on changes to expect when border restrictions eased and commercial flying resumed.

In a statement, the airline said flying had changed since the beginning of this year.

It said the Fiji Airways' Travel Ready programme was "designed for air travel in a Covid-19 world with numerous precautions and medical safeguards in place to protect customers and staff alike".

Fiji Airways stuck with leased aircraft

Last November, the airline took delivery of its first Airbus A350XWB which cost more than $US100 million.

In January, flights began to Sydney and Los Angeles but by the end of March, the airline was forced to suspend air travel due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

This week, the airline's chief executive, Andre Viljoen, said the situation was like "sitting with a noose" with no way to wriggle out.

Mr Viljoen said defaulting on loan or lease repayments for one aircraft could make Fiji Airways "lose everything and go belly up".

Fiji officials call for kindness towards repatriated

The acting permanent secretary for health, James Fong, and the head of health protection, Aalisha Sahu Khan, said Fiji must be ready to welcome back people who have been stuck overseas for months.

"We urge you, please have some compassion for our returning citizens. Put yourself in their shoes. Imagine if it was your parents," Dr Sahu khan said.

The FBC reported Dr Fong saying Fijians could not lose sight of their humanity.

As long as the country welcomed back its own citizens from nations with large scale outbreaks, there would be cases at the border, he said.

Fiji Airways converts ATR 72-600 for regional freight operations

This is the first time the airline has reconfigured its ATR aircraft for freight operations. The freighter service carried 3.8 tonnes of cargo from Nadi to Port Vila and 1.9 tonnes on the return sector on Sunday. Outbound freight included medical supplies, while the outbound carried a number of consolidated items, including coffee and mail.

Cabin crew seek legal action over Fiji Airways’ layoffs

The flight attendants were among almost 800 staff who were sent home by the airline due to the economic fallout from the Covid-19 crisis.

Union president Josaia McGowan said the cabin crew made many concessions, even decreases in wage, to keep the company afloat throughout the pandemic.

But Mr McGowan said at no point did management hint at mass terminations.

He said the union was puzzled at Fiji Airways' decision to terminate staff.