Pacific Island Air Introduce Charter/Scenic Flights Based from Savusavu Airport
Pacific Island Air has introduced charter and scenic flights based out of Savusavu Airport!
Company general manager Tuni Beddoes said what has encouraged Pacific Island Air to position an islander at Savusavu was because the market had requested services. Below are excerpts from an interview with Mr Beddoes about Pacific Island Air introducing flights based out of Savusavu Airport and the company’s core business.
1.What has encouraged Pacific Island Air to position an islander at Savusavu?
The market had requested services for transfers to Taveuni, Nausori, Labasa or Nadi to supplement the existing schedule services with the positioning time from Nadi being an hour.
The decision was taken to create a line station and service the needs of customer’s for private transfers as a charter operator.
There was an urgent Medi Vac case from a resort for clients to reposition to Suva and the service was utilised to Nausori Airport a week ago.
Then a group wanted to fly over to their resort and along the coast to view potential land for sale as part of a scenic flight.
Our target has been to have an air service available in Savusavu, to service the needs of air transfer to the mainland of Viti Levu and outer islands.
The opportunity to provide scenic flights for customers while on holiday to the surrounding islands and along the coast of Vanua Levu is anticipated.
The aircraft being positioned in Savusavu reduces the positioning time when the need arises for customers.
We anticipate bridging the islands outside the current scheduled services provided by Fiji Link and Northern Air.
There are customers who don’t want their holiday based on someone else’s schedule and we are hopeful the introduction of the Brittan Norman islander aircraft satisfies that customer.
While it required moving capacity away from the mainstream operation in Nadi , any new venture involving moving personal and equipment away from a main hub or base has its costs to bear.
Currently, only two personal are positioned in Savusavu - pilot and an engineer
The company currently operates four helicopters, three six-passenger Squirrel helicopters, one Robinson 44, two five-passenger Beaver seaplanes, two 10-passenger Otter seaplanes and two twin-engine Islander planes seating six passengers.
While a large part of our business involves transfer flights to resorts and islands, we also offer private transfers on scenic flights, adventure packages in association with other tourist operators in Fiji. Medivac Emergency Services and Commercial activity for lift and aerial survey. Pacific Island Air has the flexibility and capability of flying to any destination in Fiji.
Passengers can fly by seaplane one way and return by helicopter, offering two distinctly different experiences from one operator.
Pacific Island Air, Helicopters (Fiji) and Vanuatu Helicopters are privately owned by John Currie and family.
Their company Garden City Helicopters is widely respected as one of New Zealand’s premier helicopter and aviation operators, servicing all aspects of tourism and charter flights, air ambulance and rescue operations plus commercial flying services as well as further expansion into fixed-wing aircraft charter operations.
Garden City Helicopters saw an opportunity in 2013 to purchase the established Pacific Island Air and Seaplanes operation which had been successfully operating in Fiji for 14 years and add helicopters to the company’s fleet of fixed-wing aircraft with the aim of offering a premier tourism flightseeing and air charter operation to the region.
Today the operation in Fiji is marketed under one brand - Pacific Island Air.
This enables clients to book with one operator who can deliver all three modes of air transfer: Charter airplanes, seaplanes and helicopters.