Air Pacific to fly to Christchurch?

Press, 10 August 1982, Page 32

Air Pacific to fly to Christchurch?

Air Pacific. Fiji's national airline, is seriously investigating the possibility of using Christchurch airport as its second New Zealand gateway. Mr Del Mannering, the airline’s general manager (commercial marketing) confirmed that two studies were being made, one involving Wellington and the other, Christchurch. Asked if he could give a hint which airport was favoured, Mr Mannering said he had a “gut feeling for Christchurch." . “We could at last be looking at Christ-church-Nandi service, but a lot of hard , negotiating has to be completed first,’’ he said. One of the problems that the airline must overcome is to reach an agreement with Air New Zealand over fares. Air Pacific would be looking at a “prorated” fare which would absorb much of the domestic add-on fare South Islanders currently have to pay to get to Auckland to join their international flights to Fiji. This adds $137 to the Auckland — Nandi . one-way economy fare of $363, making the total a neat $5OO. By flying direct, however, Air Pacific would push for a better deal for South Islanders in the form of a “pro-rated” fare that could be as low as $4OO. (Air Pacific is not revealing the fare it has in mind at this stage). Mr Mannering said that the need to

reach an agreement with the New Zealand authorities was only one of the hurdles facing his airline: the other was an urgent need for a second Boeing 737. Air Pacific already has one 737 which, together with two 'BAG 1-11 aircraft, maintains its international services across the Pacific from Tahiti to Australia. The airline is now 7 endeavouring to lease a Boeing 737 which would be used on New Zealand services at present- being main- . tained by the BAC 1-1 Is. The Fiji. Visitors Bureau believes that , the high cost of internal travel in New Zealand has contributed to the drop of 10,000 visitors from this country over the past four years. The number has fallen, from 42,000 a year in 1977 to 32,000 last year. The bureau’s general manager, Mr Malakai Gucake, is therefore enthusiastic about the prospect of Air Pacific's flying to a second gateway. “If this happens you will find our New Zealand total will not only climb back to 40,000 a year, but ultimately reach 60,000 or mor.e. Mr Gucake said that in the meantime his bureau was confident that it could arrest the decline in the New Zealand market. New Zealanders could still get good value for their money in Fiji at about the same rate of exchange that they could get

for their dollar in either Australia or the United States, he said.

One encouraging factor was that visitors were now staying longer in Fiji—the average had gone up from 10 days to 11.3. Mr Gucake emphasised that Fiji was concentrating more on quality tourism, instead of volume through low-rate packages.

In spite of the decline in the NewZealand market, Fiji is enjoying a tourism boom. Hotels and resorts are running at occupancy rates, exceeding, in some instances, 90 per cent. New developments, including the islands’ first condominium, a sixth ship for the outer island cruises, and two resort hotels are under wayi The Fiji Visitors Bureau has representatives in Auckland, Sydney, and London, and is in the process of appointing one in the United States. A representative might also be stationed at a later date in Europe. The over-all picture of Fiji as a tourist destination is as bright as ever; and as long as it retains its traditional warmth and friendliness it need have no worries about the future. It’s a great place for a holiday.