Fiji’s national airline, Fiji Airways will begin direct flights to Singapore from April 05, 2016.

The flights will operate from Nadi International Airport on Tuesdays and Fridays with flights times to suit onward connections to India and South East Asia.

And to mark the launch, Fiji Airways has also announced an all inclusive special fare of FJD $999. This sale begins today and ends on November 22.

Fiji Airways Managing Director and CEO Andre Viljoen said the introduction of direct Singapore flights was excellent news for Fiji Airways customers and all Fijians.

“We will be flying direct to a destination considered as Asia’s leading hub and the attractions of Singapore are numerous, from the world’s best airport, Changi, to world-renowned shopping and entertainment.”

“Fijians will now be able to enjoy the comfort of our A330 aircraft on this 10-hour flight, departing Nadi late night and arriving in Singapore fresh in the morning ready to explore all that this bustling metropolitan city-state has to offer.”

He added that onward connection times to other key destinations would make transiting through Singapore extremely convenient.

“Changi Airport is served by 100 airlines connecting 300 cities in 80 countries and territories, making it one of the most important air transport hubs in the world. Transit times for most onwards flights to key cities in India, Indonesia and Malaysia are under three hours, which adds to the appeal of flying through Singapore.”

Attorney General and Minister for Aviation, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said the introduction of the Singapore route will now see Fiji Airway’s presence in every continent that borders the Pacific Rim except South America.

“To support our national carrier in this new endeavour to aggressively market and put in place attractive ticketing pricing, Government has provided as sum of $18.0 million in the 2016 Budget to Fiji Airways.”

“Singapore is a major international hub with extensive connections to other Asian ports including India, Thailand, China as well as Europe, which will further promote tourism arrivals and cargo traffic to the country.”

“In addition to opening up new opportunities for trade between Fiji and Singapore, these direct flights will also be in time for the IRB Rugby 7s series in April next year,” he said.

Fijian passport holders do not require a visa for Singapore.

By Reginald Chandar