Fiji Airways set a new profit record

Fiji Airways has set a new profit record for the first six months of 2015, reporting an operating profit before tax of 17.5 million dollars.

The result constitutes a solid improvement on the national airline’s profit of 15.4 million dollars for the same period last year and is the highest six‑monthly result in the company’s history.

Fiji Airways says the unaudited interim result represents the earnings of the Fiji Airways Group, legally known as Air Pacific Limited, which comprises Fiji Airways, its subsidiaries Fiji Airlines Limited trading as Fiji Link and Pacific Call Comm Ltd, plus a 38.75 per cent stake in Richmond Limited, owners of the Sofitel Fiji Resort and Spa on Denarau Island.

Chairman of Fiji Airways, Nalin Patel has commended staff for what he describes as yet another outstanding performance for the first half of 2015, on the back of a record profit of 60.8 million dollars for the 2014 financial year.

Patel says the key driver of their underlying profitability was a 6.7 percent increase in passenger numbers for the first six months of the year and a 4.7 percent increase in their overall revenue.

Attorney General and Minister for Aviation, Aiyaz Sayed‑Khaiyum says as the airline’s majority shareholder, the Fijian Government is delighted by the strong performance of Fiji Airways and the contribution it is making to the prosperity of the nation as a whole.

Fiji Airways Acting CEO, David Bowden says the growth of their Hong Kong service to China clearly shows the diversity and resilience within the group to deliver strong results despite economic and market pressures within the core Australian market.

Bowden says they are working hard to finalise a new long haul route, continue the pilot localisation programme between Fiji Airways and Fiji Link and introduce a fourth brand new A330 in our fleet in December.