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Compiled by Mel Fernandez, melfernandez@xtra.co.nz
Holiday-starved fully vaccinated Kiwis can now fly to Fiji and its 333 islands for two-way quarantine-free travel. The country’s national airline Fiji Airways departs Auckland Airport at 5:15PM and touches down in Nadi on March 5 at 07:00 PM with a plane full of keen holiday makers for the first time since March 2019.
Tourism Fiji is currently observing a 55% increase in traffic to their website, fiji.travel in the first 24-hours after the announcement of New Zealand’s home isolation requirements easing, as Kiwis explore Fiji as a post pandemic holiday destination.
Fiji Airways is currently operating four flights a week from Auckland, New Zealand, with daily flights scheduled to launch from 14th April. The airline has scheduled to launch up to three flights a week from Christchurch from 14th April, and up to two flights a week from Wellington from 13th April.
“We’re so excited to finally resume commercial flights between New Zealand and Nadi after two long years. We’ve seen an influx of Kiwis interested in flying to Fiji and we expect to see the demand continue to increase over the coming months. It’s a joy to be able to welcome our Kiwi neighbours back on board with our famous hospitality and friendly Bula Spirit and safely transport them on a long overdue holiday in Fiji,” explains Fiji Airways Managing Director & CEO Andre Viljoen.
Brent Hill, Tourism Fiji CEO explains “Fiji and our people can’t wait to welcome Kiwis back to our shores. We’ve been waiting for this moment for two years and I can assure New Zealand that Fiji is ready to welcome you back safely for two-way quarantine free travel with our Care Fiji Commitment. Fiji is well and truly open for happiness and we can’t wait to give them the holiday that they all deserve right now.”
Sonya Lawson, Tourism Fiji Regional Director for NZ explains “We’re anticipating high demand from New Zealand with the borders opening. Fiji has always been a popular hot spot for Kiwis, previously being Fiji’s second largest source market and accounting for over 200,000 visitors each year and we’ve seen that many Kiwis are already eager to get back to the place where happiness finds them.”
Safety is a priority for Fiji and its national airline.
Fiji successfully opened to the world on December 1 2021, boasts world-leading vaccination rates (93% of eligible population) and has launched the Care Fiji Commitment (CFC) programme. Approved by the World Health Organisation, World Travel & Tourism Council and accredited by Aspen Medical the Commitment is a nationwide programme applying best practice health and safety measures designed to protect Fiji’s locals and its travellers.
