Fiji Airways Aviation Academy has achieved annual cost savings of $22.7 million. A key benefit of the Academy is its capacity to offer all essential training internally, which includes initial type ratings, common type ratings, recurrent training, remedial training, and license conversion.
This information was shared by Minister for Civil Aviation Viliame Gavoka during a parliamentary session, where he was asked about the Academy’s expansion strategy. He noted that by handling these training programs in-house, Fiji Airways has significantly cut costs that would have been paid to external training organizations.
“This approach ensures that every dollar spent on training stays within the company, thus bolstering its financial health,” Mr. Gavoka emphasized. He also highlighted that pilots previously had to travel to various international training venues, such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Honolulu, Brisbane, Seattle, and Bangkok, incurring not just training fees but also high costs for accommodation and living expenses.
The establishment of the Academy has completely removed these expenses, allowing pilots to complete all required training in Fiji and alleviating the financial strain of overseas travel.