Fiji Airways is introducing an additional Christchurch – Nadi service to its schedule next summer to meet growing demand on the route. The airline currently operates a weekly Sunday departure, but has revealed it will be introducing a Tuesday service for the month of July 2014.

The carrier has been flying from Christchurch to Fiji for more than 20 years and is the sole carrier to offer year-round direct services between the two destinations. Air New Zealand also serves the route but only on a seasonal basis, although this year it offered its longest schedule with flights from June through to October. Fiji Airways expansion will be initially for just one month, but Stefan Pichler, its managing director & chief executive officer, says it is “working towards additional flights later”.

He says the supplementary service will make it easier for South Island passengers to fly direct to Fiji, and on to the US without an additional domestic New Zealand connection. “The new service opens up our global network to South Islanders as we are offering an additional weekly connection on to Los Angeles and Honolulu. In addition, the departure time has been chosen to not only appeal to Cantabrians, but the greater South Island market with connections possible from over six South Island regional points.

Fiji Airways has been flying from Christchurch to Fiji for more than 20 years and Christchurch Airport’s chief executive officer, Jim Boult says the additional service reflects the strength in the Canterbury and South Island economies, and the strong interest in travel to Fiji and North America.

“This is the first time since 2000 that Fiji Airways has operated so many frequencies from Christchurch to Fiji. The additional service provides us with a brilliant opportunity to increase passenger loading from Christchurch. The total market size of South Island residents travelling to Fiji or North America is almost 50,000 in the last 12 months, and growing.”

In the table below we look at the bi-directional O&D demand on the route between Christchurch and Nadi. Although the numbers peaked in 2007 they have remained constant at around 26,000 to 30,000. The point-to-point demand is supplemented by passengers connecting in Nadi to other destinations. Our analysis shows that in 2012 around 53.2 per cent of passengers on the route use the direct air services with the remainder connecting via Auckland.