Fiji Airways has taken delivery of its new Airbus A330-200 aircraft.

This is the first to wear the airline’s new livery and name (it was formerly called Air Pacific), and will begin flying from the islands to destinations in the Far East and North America. See my previous blog post about the routes it will serve.

The aircraft, registered DQ-FJT, will replace the airline’s existing Boeing 747-400 by the end of the year.

Fiji Airways, formerly Air Pacific, have announced the routes and destinations its new Airbus A330 aircraft will serve.

The aircraft feature the new livery of the airline and look pretty nice!

From 21 April 2013, the Fiji Airways A330s will fly from Nadi to:

Auckland
Brisbane
Los Angeles (from 1 July)
Melbourne (from 2-27 August)
Sydney (from 8 June)

The airline’s Boeing 747-400 will continue to operate routes alongside the A330, with a retirement set for January 2014.

The first aircraft is Airbus A330-243 DQ-FJT, msn 1394

The sad news has been announced that Chathams Pacific is to cancel its domestic services in Tonga from 3 March 2013 following the announcement that the Tonga Government are to create a new airline in direct competition.

In a press release on the Chathams website, its owner explains how there is not enough of a market to support two airlines, and so with regret he will close his operation’s domestic services.

Chathams Pacific was founded to help provide such services, and operates a fleet including the Douglas DC-3, Convair 580, Fairchild Metro, and Beech Queen Air. The airline gets a mention in our Last Chance to Fly book because it is amongst the last operators of passenger DC-3s and CV-580s anywhere in the world.

The new airline is being sponsored by the Chinese Government, who are providing crew training and MA-60 and Y-12 turboprop aircraft for the operation.

It is unclear whether international links to New Zealand will still be flown by Chathams.