By RACHNA LAL
Fiji Airways acting chief executive, Aubrey Swift, believes Pacific destination carriers such as Fiji Airways and Hawaiian Airlines are providing competition to Air New Zealand in the New Zealand-US market.
He said: “It’s not as if they (Air New Zealand) have a monopolistic position.”
Mr Swift was speaking at the three-day CAPA Australia-Pacific Aviation Summit in Sydney, Australia.
He highlighted that 2013 has been a transition year for Fiji Airways adding the national carrier has “realigned our brand with the destination” of Fiji.
Mr Swift said the carrier’s re-fleeting is not just about having more fuel efficient, newer aircraft, but also about “having the right size (of aircraft) in the market.”
In regards to the declining Australian Dollar, Mr Swift said it remains to be seen how that shakes out.
And in terms of continuing to attract inbound traffic from Australia, he said: “Some of that is down to our own marketing and our position in the market.”
The Aviation Summit
The CAPA Australia-Pacific Aviation Summit is described as the pre-eminent aviation strategy summit for the region.
Chief executives from airlines and airports across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, plus a selection of leaders from airlines serving the region are debating the hot topics facing aviation at this year’s summit.