Flights to Kiritimati (Christmas) Island

Managing Director & CEO, John Campbell, today announced that subject to government approval, Air Pacific will re-introduce weekly flights between Nadi and Kiritimati (Christmas) Island, and on to Honolulu from Tuesday, 25 May 2010.

The flight will operate with a Boeing 737-700 aircraft with 8 seats in Tabua Business Class and 110 in Pacific Voyager Economy Class. The new flights will add a third weekly Nadi-Honolulu service to make travel throughout the South Pacific even easier.

Mr. Campbell said: "Air Pacific is very pleased to bring commercial airline services back to Kiritimati Island. The Republic of Kiribati plays a unique role in tourism and business in the Pacific and linking Christmas Island to both Fiji and Honolulu will be a positive step for many stakeholders. It is an exciting boutique addition to our route network, which will be popular among fishing, dive and bird watching enthusiasts the world over."

The northbound schedule for the new flight provides connections from Sydney, Brisbane, Auckland, Tarawa, Tonga and Suva. The southbound flights will provide easy connections back to Suva and next day connections to Tarawa, thereby linking the two principal islands of Kiribati.

The new flight schedule is:
Nadi => Christmas Island - (FJ822)
Departs 11:59pm Tuesdays
Arrives 6:35am Wednesdays
Christmas Island => Honolulu - (FJ822)
Departs 7:35am Wednesday
Arrives 10:35am Tuesdays
Honolulu => Christmas Island - (FJ823)
Departs 12:00pm Tuesdays
Arrives 3:00pm Wednesdays
Christmas Island => Nadi - (FJ823)
Departs 4:00pm Wednesdays
Arrives 6:40pm Wednesdays

The new Christmas Island service complements Air Pacific's other Honolulu flights. Honolulu can now be accessed three times weekly with non-stop flights on Sundays, the new Christmas Island flights on Tuesdays and a flight via Apia on Fridays. Air Pacific also operates non-stop flights from Nadi to Apia on Sundays and Tuesdays. Air Pacific’s network throughout the South Pacific is the most extensive of any airline and provides the necessary air services for many government, business and student travellers.

The proposed re-commencement of services into Kiritimati Island has also been welcomed by the Government of Kiribati. Secretary for Communications, Transport and Tourism Development Mrs. Teekoa Ietaake has called this announcement "a major step in supporting the growth and development of Kiribati."

Kiritimati Island is Kiribati’s major tourism destination and with the recommencement of air services into the island, this will bring a major boost to the local and national economy.

"We are very pleased to partner with Air Pacific in this venture to bring air services to Kiritimati and to tell the world that we are very keen for salt water fly fishermen, surfers and birdwatchers from around the world to come to Kiritimati," said Mrs Ietaake.

Visas are no longer required for entry into Kiritimati (Christmas) Island for most countries around the world; although immigration charges of AU$20 for departure will be applied.

Air Pacific is Fiji’s international airline and is proudly known as the World’s Friendliest Airline. It operates a fleet of Boeing jet aircraft and ATR42-500s to 17 cities in 11 countries. Sister airline Pacific Sun operates a combination of ATR 42-500s, De Havilland Twin Otter and Britten Norman Islander aircraft on Fiji domestic routes with the ATR42s’ also servicing regional sectors between Suva, Tonga and Funafuti as well as between Nadi and Port Vila.

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