MY FIRST FLIGHT

My first passenger flight since re-joining Fiji Airways was flight FJ679, the “Flight to Nowhere” on Nov 21 2020. I felt very honoured because apart from the flying experience for our guests on our new A350 XWB, it was an opportunity to share our Travel Ready protocols with the guests and the media travelling.

When I got off my taxi at the airport, I was surprised to find so many people waiting outside and I heard later that many of them were waiting to buy a ticket just in case some guests didn’t turn up…. WOW! I guess, people do really miss flying and travelling. Times have been hard for all of us but hearing that people still wanted to treat their loved ones was heart-warming.

When the crew got onboard, we went straight into our safety duties then did our service checks and not long after we were advised to take our positions for boarding. I became more excited because I’ve never served a full flight where all guests were Fijians. This was a long time coming. As people trickled in, I was delighted to see everyone and their bula smiles (behind the masks of course).

The flight time was about two and a half hours which is short for us and even though there were a few bumps along the way due to weather it was a memorable flight. I was overcome with emotions when we landed especially after learning for many it was their first flight experience.

There’s no place I’d rather be and I’m just so grateful for the opportunity to do what I love…. with a new mindset and a new vision that the airline has created to ensure we deliver service excellence and create value for our guests on the ground and in the sky.