Fiji Airways Takes Delivery Of Its Fifth Boeing 737 MAX
Fiji Airways has taken delivery of the last of five Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, which it has on order. The latest delivery touched down in Nadi late on Sunday after a long journey across the Pacific Ocean from Boeing’s Seattle 737 facility.
The world’s fleet of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft was grounded in March 2019, prompting Boeing to pause deliveries of the type.
Late last year, the aircraft was recertified by the FAA and gradually more authorities around the world.
This allowed the manufacturer to resume deliveries of the type, while airlines could resume flights with the type.
The last Fiji Airways delivery
Fiji Airways went into the 737 MAX grounding with just two aircraft. These were sent to Alice Springs for storage, where they remain today.
However, the Fiji Airways fleet of MAXs is now five strong, thanks to Boeing’s final delivery of the type at the weekend.
The latest arrival in the Fiji Airways fleet is DQ-FAF. According to data from chaviation.com, the aircraft is already 1.79 years old.
Having been firmly ordered by Fiji Airways
in March 2017, the aircraft took its first flight on September 22, 2019.
According to data from RadarBox.com, the plane left Boeing Field in Seattle at 21:20 on Friday, July 2.
The plane first flew for five and a quarter hours to Honolulu, landing at 23:36 to refuel.
Following a break in Hawaii, the aircraft departed the next day at 16:08, landing in Nadi six and a half hours later at 20:43 on Sunday.
The aircraft has a total of 170 seats onboard.
At the front of the cabin are eight business class seats in a 2-2 configuration. These have a pitch of 51 inches.
Behind the small cabin is the main economy cabin with 162 seats in the standard narrowbody 3-3 configuration.
These have 32 inches of pitch.
The Fiji Airways fleet
As mentioned, Fiji Airways now has five Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.
The first two aircraft, DQ-FAB, and DQFAD arrived before the type’s grounding.
They are in storage in Alice Springs, Australia.
DQ-FAE and DQ-FAH both arrived with the airline back in late May.
According to data from ch-aviation.com, all five of the aircraft are on lease from GECAS.
The airline’s first MAX entered service in December 2018, with 39 flights scheduled that month.
In January 2019, it had 154 scheduled flights, dropping to 144 in February and 110 in March.
The airline was primarily using the aircraft to connect Fiji with Australia and New Zealand.
However, flights were also scheduled to other nearby islands and Hawaii’s Honolulu.
Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand
Meanwhile, Fiji Airways had recently granted approval to resume flights to New Zealand using Boeing 737 MAX aircraft by the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand (CAANZ).
The approval initially covers two of the five 737 MAX 8 aircraft operated by Fiji Airways. The remaining three aircraft will also be subject to CAA scrutiny before they are allowed to operate New Zealand.
The CAA’s approval is in the form of the 737 MAX 8 aircraft being re-added to Fiji Airways’ Foreign Air Operators Certificate.
This is a CAA-issued certificate which overseas airlines need to hold before they can regularly fly to New Zealand.