As Fiji Airways continues to soar to greater heights, staff members of the airline have been reminded to not only think about today and tomorrow, but also the future.

The Minister for Finance and Acting Prime Minister, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, stressed this yesterday as staff and stakeholders gathered to welcome the airline’s new fleet addition.

The Boeing 737-800 Island of Ovalau was welcomed at the Fiji Airways hangar at the Nadi International Airport.

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum made reference to successful airlines around the world, such as Singapore, where the staff members always had a vision and focus on the future.

“Every single staff member if you talk to Singapore Airlines. They are extremely patriotic to not just the company but their country,” he told the Fiji Airways staff.

“They realise we need to have collaboration to ensure sustainability of the airline.”

Opportunities from new aircraft

It’s a given the new aircraft addition would allow Fiji Airways to add new routes and increase frequency.

But Mr Sayed-Khaiyum stressed another important point which was it would go to create more new jobs.

“The reality is with arrival of the aircraft and with the frequency being increased, it also sustains jobs and creates new jobs,” he said.

“When you fly to more and new destinations, there is more crew time required and there is requirement for more crew to come on board.

“It also it means there is requirement for more engineers, it means engineers have more job to do and it means catering. So it has enormous multiplier effect.”

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum informed the staff members also about the amendments to the Employment Relations Promulgation Bill proposed in Parliament the past week.

“We have put in a number of amendments which will help us comply with a number of International Labour Organisation core conventions,” he said.

“But it also charts a way forward in respect of companies like yourselves where we are now going to open up for staff to directly join unions if they want to.

“But they also have the option to continue with their bargaining units.”

With all the Essential Industries, Government will also allow a fast-tracking of the ability to negotiate collective agreements through a collective bargaining tribunal.

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said this was the case in Fiji before the 1987 coup.

Despite the positive outlook, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said the national airline does remain vulnerable to so many factors beyond its control.

The tarmac incident on May 16 which led to one of its Airbus A330 getting damaged was used as an example of the airline’s vulnerability.

“By one such accident, your entire schedule can go out of place. It has caused enormous reputational damage,” he said.

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said it was important for staff members to understand this reputational damage and also the vulnerability.

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