ABC Pacific News
Last Updated: Fri, 01 May 2009 11:00:00 +1000
Air Pacific says flights between Nadi, in Fiji, and the Gold Coast, in north-east Australia, are being suspended.
The company's chief executive, John Campbell, says the economic downturn has resulted in poor demand and increasing losses.
"We started the service only from the beginning of December in 2008 against what was a reasonably difficult economic climate and the route has never had the chance to establish itself properly," he said.
"They normally take about six to eight months to be established and unfortunately the economic circumstances in both Fiji and Australia have deteriorated further over that time."
He says Air Pacific hope to recommence flights when the economic conditions improve.
Mr Campbell says customers who have already made booking on flights between the Gold Coast and Fiji will be rebooked on the company's daily flights to Brisbane, capital of Queensland state.
Wonder why Air Pacific ever bothered to open up the route in the first place: seems a bit silly to service Brisbane and Gold Coast (less than an hour apart by train).
ReplyDeleteGood PR move to blame the economic downturn ... but that was already under way when they opened up the route last year.
A better move would be to shake up their planning department and fire the people who advised the opening of this route in the first place. Perhaps they're the same people who advised the ill-fated Nadi-Canberra route would be a worthwhile market?