Today marks a special date in Queensland's aviation history, as Brisbane Airport (BNE) celebrates 50 years of direct aerial connections between the Australian city and Fiji. A lot has changed in the last half a century, but the popularity of the route between Brisbane and the South Pacific island of Fiji has remained strong.
50 not out
As detailed in a statement published earlier today by Brisbane Airport, June 1st, 1973 was a special day for Queensland's state capital when it came to aviation. Specifically, on this date, the first scheduled flight from Fiji touched down at Brisbane's former Eagle Farm Airport, located just outside the city itself.
The historical arrival took place at 14:25, and featured a rear-engined BAC 1-11 narrowbody operated by Air Pacific. The twinjet flew in from Suva's Nausori International Airport (SUV) with 64 passengers onboard, under the command of Captain Neil Ganley. The following morning, it returned to Suva, carrying 50 guests.
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Elsewhere in Queensland, around 50 km (31 miles) to the southwest of Brisbane, military aviation history was also made that day. Indeed, June 1st, 1973 marked the arrival of the Royal Australian Air Force's first General Dynamics F-111 'Aardvark' fighter jets at RAAF Base Amberley. The RAAF used these until 2010.
Brisbane's Fijian connections today
The city of Brisbane is no longer served by Eagle Farm Airport, as this facility closed in 1988 to be replaced by today's Brisbane Airport. Nonetheless, the new facility has retained its links to Fiji, although today's flights (operated by Fiji Airways) serve Nadi International Airport (NAN) rather than Suva. Commenting on today's special anniversary, Brisbane Airport Corporation CEO Gert-Jan de Graaff stated:
"Our mission is to connect the world, and, through our partnership with Fiji Airways, we’ve connected millions of people from across the Pacific into Queensland. This is not only an important flight for the tourists it carries, but also for the Pacific nations it connects to Australia for work, education, and bringing together families and communities."
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Fiji Airways' Brisbane-Nadi route remains popular in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Indeed, with flights at 112% of pre-COVID levels, Nadi has been Brisbane's best-performing international destination in terms of its recovery. Overall, Fiji is Brisbane's sixth-largest departing market, compared to seventh before COVID-19.
An interesting mixture of aircraft
Data from FlightRadar24.com shows that Fiji Airways deploys various different aircraft types on its flight between Brisbane and Nadi. The Boeing 737 family is a common sight on these three-hour hops, with the carrier utilizing both the 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 models. However, on certain days, larger aircraft are present.
Most notably, the Thursday iteration of flight FJ922 makes use of Airbus A330 widebodies, which offer a significant increase in capacity. While this is ideal for passengers, it also benefits the cargo side of things. After all, with Fiji Airways having transported close to 300 tonnes of airfreight between Brisbane and Nadi last year, it is clear that this long-running route has multi-faceted popularity levels.
Sources: Brisbane Airport, FlightRadar24.com
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Fiji Airways
- IATA/ICAO Code:
- FJ/FJI
- Airline Type:
- Full Service Carrier
- Hub(s):
- Nadi Airport
- Year Founded:
- 1947
- Alliance:
- oneworld
- CEO:
- Andre Viljoen
- Country:
- Fiji
