Tweaks Schedules to Connect Savusavu and Taveuni
Fiji’s domestic carrier Pacific Sun announced today that it has completed a lengthy but critical $300,000 retrofit and avionics upgrade of its three DH-6 Otter aircraft equipping each aircraft with new weather radar and GPS equipment.
Pacific Sun also announced a new schedule which will offer better connectivity with Air Pacific’s international schedule. Of note, will be DH-6 Otter connections for the first time ever between Savusavu and Taveuni three times a week. This means that visitors to Fiji can now enjoy the distinctly different experiences that these resort areas provide – all on one vacation trip.
“With these new equipment upgrades, our DH-6 Otter aircraft will now be equipped with modern avionics and equipment that allows better and more reliable operations in inclement weather. As a result, Pacific Sun customers can now book with confidence on their domestic flights, and Fijian resorts can welcome these visitors to their islands in rain or shine,” said Shaenaz Voss, Pacific Sun’s General Manager.
“In early December, we made the difficult, but deliberate decision, to limit DH-6 Twin Otter aircraft operations to only fair weather flying (Visual Flying Rules [VFR]) until all aircraft were retrofitted with new equipment because we wanted to raise the level of safety in our domestic operations to match that of our international operations” explained Ms. Voss.
“Now that these modifications are complete, our Twin Otter pilots will be able to fly year- round in good weather and bad weather, and operate more efficiently by using GPS equipment for more precise point-to-point navigation. This is great news for our customers and Fiji’s popular islands resorts in the north as well as Kadavu,” she said.
“Our pilots are thrilled with our new state-of-the-art weather radar and GPS systems,” said Captain Gerry Erbsleben, Pacific Sun’s Chief Pilot. In addition, all of our 24 Twin Otter pilots have undergone extensive training on the use of these new systems, and they look forward to welcoming our passengers on board our many flights to Fiji’s beautiful outer islands.”
In addition to this retrofit that was just completed, Pacific Sun also plans to spend another $1.8 million outfitting all three aircraft with new state-of-the-art cockpits and additional equipment which will include a Terrain Warning System, Automated Press Release Dependent Surveillance-Broadcasting (ADS-B) system, new IFR instruments, as well as new VHF and HF radios.
“These enhancements will even further enhance the safety, operational effectiveness, and reliability of Fiji’s domestic airline fleet,” said Ms Voss.
“The most important thing for any airline is the safety of its passengers and crews, and these investments underscore our ongoing commitment to that fundamental principle. While this retrofit work caused interruptions to normal flight schedules and led to a several months of unavoidable disruptions and cancelled flights, we believe the enhancements to our fleet were critically needed and the final results mark another important milestone in our domestic airline’s transformation,” she said.
“Now that these retrofits are done, we plan to actively operate two of our three DH-6 Otters, and we will use the third aircraft for charters as well as a maintenance and pilot training.”
This means Pacific Sun will now operate two flights daily into Savusavu from either Nadi or Suva, twice a day flights from Nadi to Taveuni, and a daily Nadi – Kadavu flight. The new schedule will also allow convenient connections on Air Pacific from Sydney to Taveuni and Savusavu six times a week, and it will maintain the airline’s four times a week connectivity to Los Angeles. Our once-a-week flights to Rotuma, Cicia, Lakeba and Vanuabalavu will also be maintained, and will also be able to fly charter flights up to three times per week.
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