Pacific Transport

Air Pacific Loses $600,000 But

Plans Services Increase

A loss of $643,974 in the year ended March 31, 1974, has not daunted Air Pacific, which is plan ning to step up Fiji internal services, as well as overseas services, bui wun fewer aircraft. The 1974-75 loss was the worst the airline had suffered, and reflected extremely difficult con ditions.

The recent return of the BAC 111 leased to Air Malawi gives the air line two jet aircraft for regional services. This has freed other air craft for domestic routes. But traffic growth has not been sufficient to keep the entire fleet of HS74Bs and Trislanders profitably employed.

So, a Trislander and a HS74B will be either leased or sold because there is enough work for them.

Mr Ross Keenan, commercial manager of Air Pacific, said at a recent meeting of the board of the Fiji Visitors Bureau, that the number of passengers on internal routes, except on the Labasa run, had de clined. The days were gone when an under-utilised aircraft could be left sitting around.

The airline’s growth was in its regional services, not the domestic ones. It was operating small jets at uneconomic fares to get established.

Mr Keenan’s remarks raised the question, referred to previously in these columns, about one airline trying to cater for both regional and internal services. Air Pacific is doing well on its regional services, and this year is increasing the number of flights to both Australia and New Zealand.

The Fiji Government is the major shareholder in Air Pacific, and it also has a substantial interest in Fiji Air Services, which operates un scheduled flights and some regular services to outer islands. The time could be approaching for Air Pacific to become a solely regional operator, while Fiji Air Services takes over all internal services.

Several countries which operate airlines through commissions have seen the wisdom of international and internal airlines, operating sepa rately, and profitably.

Recent Fiji approval for Hawaiian Airlines for a daily service between Fiji and Hawaii, via Pago Pago, could bring additional business tor Air Pacific as a regional operator.

Hawaiian Airlines plans to use a 193-passenger DCS.

The Fiji Prime Minister, Ratu Sir Kamisese, commenting on the proposal, which is still subject to approval by the US Civil Aeronautics Board, said Hawaiian Airlines would serve Fiji as a destination point.

Other operators served Nadi only as a transit point to America, Australia and New Zealand.

While it might affect the business

of Air Pacific and Air Polynesia on direct Fiji-Pago Pago flights, both airlines could pick up new business.

The thrusting expansion-oriented Air Nauru no doubt will keep a close watch on the move by Hawaiian Airlines. The service to Pago Pago could provide Air Nauru, which flies to Apia, with additional passengers, for the return flight to Nauru, via Tarawa, and then on to the US Trust Territory. A Hawaii-Fiji-American Samoa - Western Samoa - Tarawa- Nauru-Trust Territory link up in volving three or four airlines would allow tourists to cover a lot of the Pacific in a few days.