Fiji Airways to Reduce Foreign Pilot Intake, 98 Sacked
THE NATIONAL AIRLINE HAS MORE THAN 300 CABIN CREW MEMBERS, RECRUITING ANOTHER 150
When COVID-19 started, we kept all local pilots; the foreign pilots were terminated..
Fiji’s national carrier will reduce the number of foreign pilots in its service. Fiji Airways chief executive officer, Andre Viljoen, said the airline was looking for 30 foreign pilots.
It follows the termination of contracts for 98 foreign pilots, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said the aviation academy – which was established in 2017, and officially opened by Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama last year - became a life saver as it allowed local pilots to train and upgrade their qualifications.
Prior to the opening of the academy, 20 per cent of local pilots were sent around the world to train in simulators in Singapore, Hawaii, Australia and Malaysia.
Andre Viljoen Fiji Airways CEO
“Now that it is here, we don’t need that anymore; I need less foreign pilots,” Mr Viljoen said.
“We kept all our pilots, because every six months, a pilot has to get their licenses renewed through recurrent training.”
Recruitment
Fiji Airways is recruiting another 150 cabin crew members.
There are more than 300 cabin crew members in the national airline.
“We have been ramping up the number of cabin crew,” Mr Viljoen said.
“When COVID-19 started, we kept all local pilots; foreign pilots were terminated.
“Now that we’re getting more and more flights coming along, and Adelaide has been included as another
destination, we need more crew.” Cabin crew are also trained at the aviation academy.
In the past, cabin crew were trained in Singapore.