Fiji Airways enhances connectivity with these new aircraft

Fiji Airways adds new ATR aircraft

By Mark Reif Published January 24, 2025

ATR 72-600 aircraft — ATR 72-600 aircraft Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons

Fiji’s national airline, Fiji Airways, has added two ATR 72-600 aircraft to its fleet, enhancing connectivity in the South Pacific and across Fiji. The first plane arrived on December 29, 2024, and the second on January 5, 2025. The new airplanes are part of a plan to improve domestic capacity, especially in Northern Fiji.

The ATR 72-600 better connects the islands

Nadi, Fiji — Nadi, Fiji James Coleman via Unsplash

Fiji Airways’ new ATR 72-600s are regional aircraft powered by twin turboprops, with seating for 68. They’re known for excellent fuel efficiency and a low carbon footprint. In addition, they can handle arduous airfields with extreme temperatures, short runways, and more. The airline will mostly use the ATRs on regional routes to the Northern and Western Divisions of Fiji. With time, the carrier plans to add more of them, to serve essential routes to Labasa and Nadi-Suva. The new planes are part of Fiji Airways’ strategy to expand its Nadi hub with improved passenger options, especially on connections between domestic and international destinations.

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Fiji Airways CEO and Managing Director Andre Viljoen said: “These two new ATR aircraft are a significant investment in Fiji’s domestic connectivity. They are an important part of our commitment to providing comfortable and efficient travel options for our passengers and offering greater connectivity between our islands. This fleet expansion will also help us continue to meet the growing demand for domestic travel, ensuring that we can provide increased capacity where it’s needed most.”

The new ATR 72-600s will fly the following routes (via Fiji Airways):

Regional

NAN-TBU (Nadi-Tongatapu)
NAN-VAV (Nadi-Vava’u)
SUV-FUN (Suva-Funafuti)
NAN-FUN (Nadi-Funafuti)
NAN-VLI (Nadi-Port Vila)

Domestic

NAN-SUV (Nadi-Suva)
NAN-LBS (Nadi-Labasa)
SUV-LBS (Suva-Labasa)

Mark Reif is a writer from Stowe, Vermont. During the winter, he works as a snowboard coach and rides more than 100 days. The…

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