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Fiji Airways has officially commenced its new route from Cairns to Nadi.
Flight FJ971 touched down in Cairns at 11:43am on Thursday aboard the 737 MAX 8 DQ-FAB, taking off again for Nadi as FJ970 shortly after 1pm. The new non-stop service, operating three times per week, is expected to add around 53,000 seats to the market.
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“This new route is a major milestone for Tropical North Queensland travellers and Australians eyeing a Fijian escape; the 333 islands cater to all types of holidaymakers,” Andre Viljoen, Fiji Airways’ chief executive and managing director, said.
“We’re thrilled to provide faster one-stop connections to North America, saving three hours and skipping extra stopovers for Aussies in the region. It’s a big boost in convenience and global connectivity.”
The flights, operating on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, align with Fiji Airways’ schedule from Nadi to Dallas–Fort Worth, offering a connection for Far North Queensland passengers travelling to and from the US, said Cairns Airport chief executive, Richard Barker.
“Fiji Airways’ service offers locals a great, new holiday option and will streamline visits to family and friends while also supporting tourism operators, strengthening trade channels and providing new education opportunities,” he said.
“Critically, this route aligns with Fiji Airways’ Dallas-Fort Worth schedule, operating on the same days, with a perfect and time-efficient connection via Nadi. This fast, one-stop connectivity to North America is a game changer.
“Destinations such as Los Angeles and San Francisco are now just 16 hours away, slashing nearly three hours of travel time and eliminating the need for additional stops in other Australian ports.”
According to Tourism Tropical North Queensland chief executive Mark Olsen, the US is Cairns’ second largest international market, with 85,000 visitors in 2024, and Cairns’ market share has in the past been as high as 22 per cent.
“We are currently getting 16 per cent of Australia’s $2 billion US market so each market share percentage we can grow is an additional $20 million for our economy,” Olsen said.
“TTNQ has been investing heavily in the North American market undertaking 20 trade and aviation campaigns to date including a campaign in partnership with Fiji Airways which will run to June 30 to drive bookings on the Cairns route.
“Our first 12 North American campaigns have achieved $21 million in direct sales with bookings from 30,800 passengers. Utilising the Federal funding from the International Tourism Recovery Program we have already achieved $54.9 million in publicity to drive awareness of Tropical North Queensland in North America.”
Fiji Airways currently also flies to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Canberra, with the Canberra route being the first international service for the capital post-pandemic when it launched in 2023.
