Report by : Gan Yung Chyan
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals
The Fijian Government Delegation led by the Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism, Hon. Faiyaz Koya, the Minister for Agriculture, Hon. Inia Seruiratu and the Permanent Secetary for the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Mr Shaheen Ali held an official press conference at ITB Asia 2015 in Singapore on 22 October, announcing Fiji Airways' plan for a new direct scheduled route to Singapore from Nadi, the gateway to the 333-island nation of Fiji in the southwest Pacific region.
According to the government officials, Fiji Airways plans to launch a direct scheduled flight to Singapore from Nadi in the first quarter and by the first week of April 2016 before the World Rugby Sevens Series commences in Singapore on 16 April 2016.
Fiji Airways will utilize its newly-acquired Airbus A330-300 aircraft on the highly-anticipated Nadi-Singapore-Nadi service after taking delivery of the aircraft in December 2015.
Fiji Airways has plans to fly to Beijing and Shanghai, in particular Beijing but if it could not fly direct to Beijing in 2016 from Nadi, a Singapore link will be viable subject to approval of the two countries' civil aviation authorities. To this end, Hon. Faiyaz Siddiq Koya said, " the airline is working hard to finalise the required Government, industry and airline partnerships which would be crucial for the success of the new route".
Fiji Airways will release further details on the flight commencement date and frequency in November 2015 once the necessary Government regulatory and partnership agreements are confirmed. The relevant civil aviation authorities are in the stage of processing the new Air Services Agreement (ASA) between Fiji and Singapore.
Hon. Faiyaz Siddiq Koya added, "The possibility of flying direct to Singapore provides an opportunity for the strengthening of bilateral trade and economic relations between Fiji and Singapore. Singapore is an ideal route for us given the convenient connectivity needed with the Indian, South Asian, Middle-Eastern and European markets. These emerging markets combined with other long-haul destinations of USA and Canada makes up 27 per cent of the total visitor arrivals".
In 2015, 714000 passengers arrived in Nadi, Fiji by air and Tourism Fiji wants to encourage a further increase in tourist arrivals from Asia.
Tourism Fiji said the planned direct flight to Nadi from Singapore will encourage more Singaporeans, divers, honeymooners and families to consider vacationing in Fiji without transits in Hong Kong, Port Moresby, Brisbane, Sydney or Auckland.
The new Singapore route will also complement Fiji Airways' direct service to Hong Kong which will see the latter route frequency increase to four return flights per week from 25 October 2015. The airline expects to increase the Hong Kong flight frequency further to five return flights per week in 2016.
There are also possible plans for Fiji Airways to fly to India, Kuala Lumpur, Suvarnabhumi, Jakarta and Manila from Singapore through possible code-sharing arrangements with airlines like Singapore Airlines, Garuda Indonesia and Philippine Airlines.
Hon. Inia Seruiratu said the launch of direct flights between Nadi and Singapore, both regional aviation hubs in their respective continents, aim to attract more trade and business traffic from Europe and Asia to Fiji, booster trade and economic ties with Singapore and Asia as a whole, and facilitate Fijian travels to Singapore without stopovers in Australia or Hong Kong.
The burgeoning market of the Fijian economy which sees a record growth of 5.3 percent in 2014 has attracted significant investments from Singaporean enterprises. Fiji's bilateral trade with Singapore in 2014 was approximately 1.6 billion Fijian Dollars. This makes Singapore the largest import source market of Fiji whereas Fiji imports fuel from Singapore predominantly.
With commencement of eight-hour direct flights between Singapore and Fiji in 2016 and closer air links, it is expected that bilateral trade will not only improve significantly with more Fijian exports to Singapore and more inbound tourists to Fiji from Singapore, Southeast Asia and beyond and Fiji will become a more favourable destination for Singaporean investors.
Over the past ten years, approximately 19 Singaporean investment projects have been registered in Fiji, with investment value at around 255 million Fijian Dollars.
Visit Tourism Fiji at Booth E / K10, ITB Asia 2015, from 21 to 23 October to get first-hand information about Pacific Island Air, one of Fiji's domestic private airlines and sea-plane operator and Fiji Airways' current routes.
/ KUCINTA SETIA
Distributed to All Press & Travel Professionals
The Fijian Government Delegation led by the Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism, Hon. Faiyaz Koya, the Minister for Agriculture, Hon. Inia Seruiratu and the Permanent Secetary for the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Mr Shaheen Ali held an official press conference at ITB Asia 2015 in Singapore on 22 October, announcing Fiji Airways' plan for a new direct scheduled route to Singapore from Nadi, the gateway to the 333-island nation of Fiji in the southwest Pacific region.
According to the government officials, Fiji Airways plans to launch a direct scheduled flight to Singapore from Nadi in the first quarter and by the first week of April 2016 before the World Rugby Sevens Series commences in Singapore on 16 April 2016.
Fiji Airways will utilize its newly-acquired Airbus A330-300 aircraft on the highly-anticipated Nadi-Singapore-Nadi service after taking delivery of the aircraft in December 2015.
Fiji Airways has plans to fly to Beijing and Shanghai, in particular Beijing but if it could not fly direct to Beijing in 2016 from Nadi, a Singapore link will be viable subject to approval of the two countries' civil aviation authorities. To this end, Hon. Faiyaz Siddiq Koya said, " the airline is working hard to finalise the required Government, industry and airline partnerships which would be crucial for the success of the new route".
Fiji Airways will release further details on the flight commencement date and frequency in November 2015 once the necessary Government regulatory and partnership agreements are confirmed. The relevant civil aviation authorities are in the stage of processing the new Air Services Agreement (ASA) between Fiji and Singapore.
Hon. Faiyaz Siddiq Koya added, "The possibility of flying direct to Singapore provides an opportunity for the strengthening of bilateral trade and economic relations between Fiji and Singapore. Singapore is an ideal route for us given the convenient connectivity needed with the Indian, South Asian, Middle-Eastern and European markets. These emerging markets combined with other long-haul destinations of USA and Canada makes up 27 per cent of the total visitor arrivals".
In 2015, 714000 passengers arrived in Nadi, Fiji by air and Tourism Fiji wants to encourage a further increase in tourist arrivals from Asia.
Tourism Fiji said the planned direct flight to Nadi from Singapore will encourage more Singaporeans, divers, honeymooners and families to consider vacationing in Fiji without transits in Hong Kong, Port Moresby, Brisbane, Sydney or Auckland.
The new Singapore route will also complement Fiji Airways' direct service to Hong Kong which will see the latter route frequency increase to four return flights per week from 25 October 2015. The airline expects to increase the Hong Kong flight frequency further to five return flights per week in 2016.
There are also possible plans for Fiji Airways to fly to India, Kuala Lumpur, Suvarnabhumi, Jakarta and Manila from Singapore through possible code-sharing arrangements with airlines like Singapore Airlines, Garuda Indonesia and Philippine Airlines.
Hon. Inia Seruiratu said the launch of direct flights between Nadi and Singapore, both regional aviation hubs in their respective continents, aim to attract more trade and business traffic from Europe and Asia to Fiji, booster trade and economic ties with Singapore and Asia as a whole, and facilitate Fijian travels to Singapore without stopovers in Australia or Hong Kong.
The burgeoning market of the Fijian economy which sees a record growth of 5.3 percent in 2014 has attracted significant investments from Singaporean enterprises. Fiji's bilateral trade with Singapore in 2014 was approximately 1.6 billion Fijian Dollars. This makes Singapore the largest import source market of Fiji whereas Fiji imports fuel from Singapore predominantly.
With commencement of eight-hour direct flights between Singapore and Fiji in 2016 and closer air links, it is expected that bilateral trade will not only improve significantly with more Fijian exports to Singapore and more inbound tourists to Fiji from Singapore, Southeast Asia and beyond and Fiji will become a more favourable destination for Singaporean investors.
Over the past ten years, approximately 19 Singaporean investment projects have been registered in Fiji, with investment value at around 255 million Fijian Dollars.
Visit Tourism Fiji at Booth E / K10, ITB Asia 2015, from 21 to 23 October to get first-hand information about Pacific Island Air, one of Fiji's domestic private airlines and sea-plane operator and Fiji Airways' current routes.
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