Fiji’s national carrier, Air Pacific, has taken delivery of a new Airbus A330-200 – the first aircraft to be adorned with the airline’s new brand identify.
The new wide-body aircraft was handed over to Air Pacific at a ceremony in France on Saturday 16 March 2013, and will arrive in Fiji on Tuesday 19 March. The first commercial services using the new aircraft are set to begin on 2 April.
The new aircraft – the first of three A330-200s ordered by Air Pacific in October 2011 – comes with a new livery, featuring traditional Fijian designs. It also becomes the first aircraft to adopt the new name, ‘Fiji Airways’, which will become the national carrier’s official title later this year.
“As we noted last year when we unveiled our new planes and new name, the introduction of our new A330 aircraft and rebranding of the airline are the capstone of three years of incredibly hard work by our entire team to transform and revitalise Fiji’s national carrier and ensure it will be successful for another 61 years,” said Dave Pflieger, Air Pacific’s managing director & CEO.
“With the introduction of these fantastic new Fijian themed A330s, our passengers will finally be able to experience the kind of world-class comfort and state-of-the-art cabins and in-seat entertainment that we and they believe should accompany our already award-winning customer service; service that itself will only get better when we become ‘Fiji Airways’ in June.”
The two-class A330 will feature 24 flatbed seats in Tabua business class and 249 seats in Pacific Voyager economy class, all with personal in-flight entertainment screens and power sockets.
Air Pacific’s entire fleet will now undergo a rebranding exercise in preparation for the official launch of Fiji Airways in June 2013. The programme will also include redesigned airport lounges, new staff uniforms and a new website, and will continue until the end of 2013.
Following the introduction of the three new A330s, Air Pacific will retire its older Boeing 747-400s.
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