considers

Air Pacific considers new routes

AIR Pacific, after announcing a SF9 million profit, is now considering new routes and the purchase of a Boeing 767 aircraft to supplement its ex isting fleet.

Fiji’s national airline declared an after tax profit of $9,079 million on a turnov er of $95.6 million. The airline’s chair man, Gerald Barrack, paid tribute to management and workers for helping to turn the previously troubled airline around. He said projected revenue for the current year was $124 million, re flecting the recovery in Fiji’s tourist in dustry. Barrack said the 1988 profit was achieved despite the set-up costs associ ated with the introduction of the Tokyo and Melbourne services, the acquisition of two ATR-42 aircraft, and industrial problems.

The chief executive of Air Pacific, Andrew Drysdale, has said the airline may extend its services to South-East Asia and North America. The next five-

year plan would include studies on such route extensions. While he regarded North America as an important source of potential passenger traffic, Air Paci fic’s lack of aircraft and fleet flexibility ruled out this route in the short term.

The airline is also looking at buying a 767 wide-bodied aircraft, suitable for the heavily-patronised hauls between Austra lia and New Zealand and Fiji.

The airline reports reasonable load factors on its Nadi-Tokyo service and Air Pacific is finalising interline fares beyond Japan to South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thailand. This mar

ket is being seen as complementing the seasonal troughs of traffic from Austra lia and New Zealand. The Melbourne- Nadi service, which began on March 30, is proving very successful.

Meanwhile Vanuatu and New Zealand have signed an agreement setting up direct airlinks between the two countries.

Air Vanuatu may fly to New Zealand via Nadi and New Zealand’s airlines may fly to Vanuatu through Noumea. New Zea land airlines also have the right to fly on to two destinations beyond Port Vila. Air Vanuatu is studying the feasibility of an Auckland service operating before the end of the year. Vanuatu Prime Minister Father Walter Lini was in Wellington for

the agreement’s signing.

In Suva, Air India has closed its office, citing the declining traffic between India and Fiji. Qantas and Singapore Airlines were now competing on the run to New Delhi, the airline said. Cargo between

India and Fiji had dropped significantly

after a trade ban between the countries which had been imposed by India after the two military coups in Fiji in 1987, according to an Air India spokesperson.

And Solomon Airlines has cut staff and services in a bid to trade its way out of current financial constraints and to make the company more profitable. □

Drysdale: looking at expansion.