Fiji Airways pays dividend of $2.5M to government

Fiji Airways has paid its major shareholder, the Fijian Government, a dividend of more than $2.5M following its record profit of $60.8M last year.

The dividend allocation to the government which owns 51% of the airline is part of an overall payment of just under $5M.

Chairman of Fiji Airways, Nalin Patel says the rest is shared with the other major shareholder, Qantas ‑ which holds a 46 per stake in Fiji Airways – plus the other shareholders – Air New Zealand and the Governments of Kiribati, Tonga, Samoa and Nauru.

Patel says last year's operating profit by Air Pacific Limited, trading as the Fiji Airways Group, was more than double that of the previous best result in 2005 and today's dividend payout is the first since 2008.

He says Fiji Airways is delighted to be in a position to share its financial success by giving a return to its shareholders as well as rewarding its staff through its profit‑sharing scheme announced in February.

While accepting the dividend cheque, Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum also paid tribute to the staff of Fiji Airways.