Growing the number of aircraft, route network expansion and increasing operating profits and passenger numbers are some key focus areas of Fiji Airways? five-year strategic plan.
Fiji Airways managing director/chief executive, Stefan Pichler, revealed details of this masterplan in Suva yesterday which had been approved by the board in mid-December.
Mr Pichler said this was the first time a strategic plan for the airline was developed bottom up from the management and with input from its customers, people and stakeholders.
?This is our plan, we believe in it and we will make it happen. This is what we want to deliver by building and performing under a highly inspirational global brand ? Fiji Airways,? he said.
This strategic masterplan is expected to grow the airline?s network and help drive tourism and the economy in Fiji.
Financial performance strategy
Mr Pichler said the airline would put in place an aggressive financial performance strategy to increase operating profits above FJ$100 million.
This, he said had been planned assuming fuel prices and currency exchange rates at the current levels.
?It is our aim is to be a world class boutique airline and we must match that with an ambitious but solid financial growth plan which expands on current successes and takes our airline to a new level,? he said.
?We need to be sustainably profitable and have a healthy cash flow to pay off our debts and fund new aircraft.?
Increasing the fleet
The airline would increase its fleet size by 25 per cent with the purchase and/or leasing of four new aircraft.
This includes one Airbus A330-200, two Boeing B737-800s and two ATR72-600s (one as a replacement for an ATR 42-500), by 2017.
The additional aircraft would support the company?s plans to grow the number of available seats across all markets by more than a third (35 per cent), and an increase in passenger numbers by 39 per cent, over the next five years.
Proposed capacity increases across the regions include Asia (144 per cent), Pacific Islands (86.6 per cent ), New Zealand (58.9 per cent ), Australia (28.4 per cent) and Domestic (12.3 per cent), while the current seat availability to the US remains stable (- 4.7 per cent).
And the perception of the Airbus purchase defers, Mr Pichler said Fiji Airways was very happy with Airbus as they had delivered what they had promised.
?If we purchase another long-haul aircraft, it will not be anything but A330,? he said.
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