Fiji’s international airline, Fiji Airways has announced a record profit of $70.2 million for 2015 compared to $60.8 million for the previous year.
While making the announcement, Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says this also means that the staff and management of Fiji Airways will receive increased bonuses as part of the profit sharing scheme.
Sayed-Khaiyum said all eligible Fiji Airways and FijiLink workers will get bonuses totalling $3,300 each while the managers will receive $7,700 each.
These bonuses are subject to tax and superannuation deductions.
In addition, non‑management staff for both airlines already stand to earn quarterly KPI‑related bonuses of up to $1,200 per year, on achievement of key business objectives.
The Attorney General said the $70.2 million profit in 2015 is a 15.5 percent increase compared to the 2014 profit.
Sayed-Khaiyum said the company’s revenue increased by 6.3 percent to 815.3 million dollars.
The airline carried 1.3 million passengers in 2015 compared to 1.2 million people in 2014.
Meanwhile Fiji Airways Managing Director and CEO, Andre Viljoen says they realise that the upside from lower fuel prices has been largely off‑set by foreign currency exposure on aircraft US dollar‑based loans and Australian dollar revenue streams, given the strengthening or weakening of the US and Australian dollar respectively.
He said the fuel price relief will not last, so they intend to maintain their cost‑management discipline and focus.
Viljoen said 2016 presents yet another year of opportunities and challenges.
Three new destinations are being added to the Fiji Airways network, with inaugural flight to Singapore commencing last week and San Francisco and Vava’u all coming online by June.
By the end of 2016, Fiji Airways will have 50 destinations in 13 countries around the world, which includes codeshare destinations.
