Fiji Airways owning company Air Pacific Limited has reported an interim FJD$17.2m (A$9.93m) profit for the six months to June 30, its best ever half yearly result and a massive improvement over the FJD$500,000 (A$292,000) profit recorded in the same period last year.
The group is comprised of Fiji Airways and regional subsidiary Fiji Link, and a 38.75 per cent stake in the Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa on Denarau Island.
“It has been an excellent start into 2014 and now we have to keep the pace as we want to pay a profit share to our staff for 2014 as well as a dividend to our shareholders,” airline Managing Director and CEO, Stefan Pichler said in a statement. “The key driver of this underlying profitability was the 10 per cent higher load factor across the whole network. We flew four per cent more passengers and produced five per cent more sectors, but in a much more efficient way. We have now gained momentum and the focus is to work hard to keep the ball rolling.”
The statement stressed that the results are provisional and are subject to final review by external auditors.
