FIJI AIRWAYS managing director and CEO Andre Viljoen will be stepping down from this role effective October later this year.
Mr Viljoen has accepted the position of CEO at Air Mauritius after a decade at the help of the country’s national airline.
Fiji Airways board chairman Nalin Patel confirmed this in a statement yesterday afternoon, paying tribute to Mr Viljoen’s “outstanding” leadership over the past 10 years.
He said under his stewardship, the airline had undergone a remarkable transformation.
“Among his many accomplishments, Mr Viljoen also led the development of our worldclass Aviation Academy, now home to four state-of-the-art full-flight simulators,” Mr Patel said.
“This initiative has not only enhanced cost efficiency but also raised the standard of pilot training by supporting more Fijians to become captains and attracting major third-party clients such as Air Tahiti, Cathay Pacific and Qantas.”
Mr Patel said to ensure continuity, Mr Viljoen would remain on the board of director after bis transition.
“There is no conflict of interest, as Fiji Airways and Air Maritius serve different markets.
“On the contrary, shared aircraft types such as the Airbus A350 and ATR offer exciting opportunities for collaboration in leadership and operational development.”
Mr Patel said an extensive search would be conducted to identify the most suitable candidate for the MD CEO role
He said the position would be advertised internally, nationally and internationally; and all candidates who met the clearly defined criteria and job description outlined in the upcoming advertisement would be considered.
Under Mr Viljoen’s leadership:
– The airline’s SKYTRAX Rating improved to 4 Stars, with its global ranking soaring from 102nd in 2015 to an impressive 14th in 2024;
– Fiji Airways was awarded ‘Best Airline in Australia/Pacific’ for two consecutive years and earned the APEX 5 Star Major Airline rating for three years running;
– The fleet has doubled in size, from 12 aircraft in 2015 to 24 today, including four new-generation Airbus A350s, widely recognised as among the most modern and fuel-efficient commercial aircraft in the world; and
– Annual revenue grew significantly, from $815.3 million in 2015 to $1.9b billion in 2024.
