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Inter Island Airways expands with new operation in Fiji

American Samoa-based Inter Island Airways is now set up in Fiji and its operation, Inter Island Airways Fiji Limited, has been given the green light by Fiji civil aviation to operate domestic flights in the former British colony. The company’s president and CEO, Barney Sene says the approval was granted Aug. 10 to Aviana Airways Corporation, doing business as Inter Island Airways Fiji. 

Sene says the Civil Aviation Authority Air Transport Fiji Licensing Board granted eleven licenses for the airline to operate scheduled service and two charter flights.

The airline in a statement said award of these licenses opens the Fiji domestic market to a second domestic air carrier after Air Fiji ceased operations in 2009.  The last time a scheduled domestic air carrier license was award was in the mid-1990s.

Sene says the licensing approval process was very competitive primarily from two local non-scheduled Fiji-based airlines and from the only scheduled domestic airline; Pacific Sun. “We are obviously excited with the license approval.  Now the hard work begins,” Sene said Sunday (local time) via e-mail from Fiji responding to a Samoa News request for comments.

The airline will now begin investing in the detail and heavy lifting work of bringing the new airline up and operational in Fiji over the next 6-8 months, said Sene in the company’s news release.

More details in tomorrow’s edition.