Fiji’s national carrier, Air Pacific, has selected Airbus aircraft to renew and to grow its fleet. After a thorough evaluation of several different aircraft, including the B787, the carrier has signed a firm contract to buy three new A330-200 aircraft to replace its existing fleet of B747s and B767s with newer, more fuel-efficient aircraft delivering the lowest operating costs and highest productivity in its category.

The A330-200 aircraft will be delivered in 2013 and operated from Fiji on trans-Pacific routes to Los Angeles and throughout the Asia-Pacific region to Hong Kong, Australia, and New Zealand.

“The A330 is the most versatile and fuel-efficient aircraft in its category today, and it is clearly the best aircraft for modernising our fleet, optimising our network, and ensuring future growth opportunities as we position Air Pacific to be the preferred airline in the South Pacific,” said Dave Pflieger, Managing Director and CEO of Air Pacific. “We are confident that our customers and visitors to Fiji will be excited about the outstanding comfort and capability of these outstanding new aircraft.”

“The A330 is without question the most eco-efficient, wide-body aircraft in its class. Outstanding reliability, fuel efficiency and low operational costs have made the aircraft a favourite with operators and customers around the world. We are delighted to welcome Air Pacific as a new Airbus customer, and we look forward to being part of their development and growth,” said John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating Officer, Customers.

With a true wide-body fuselage creating very high comfort standards, the A330-200 is also able to accommodate seat and class configurations and in-flight entertainment options to suit diverse customer requirements. It also has the excellent operational flexibility necessary to serve a wide range of route structures, providing operators with very low operating costs per seat.

Airbus has recorded over 1,100 orders for the A330 Family, with more than 800 aircraft currently flying with more than 90 operators worldwide. In addition to passenger aircraft, the A330 Family also includes freighter, VIP and military transport / tanker variants.