Story curated by EXPLORE Fiji
June 2026 has marked a historic achievement for Fiji Airways. The national carrier recently celebrated 10 years of continuous service to San Francisco from Nadi, while simultaneously launching its first-ever direct service to the Australian Gold Coast. Together, these milestones signal an airline building confidently on its Pacific network and expanding its global footprint.
Ten Years of Connecting Fiji and San Francisco
When Fiji Airways touched down in San Francisco’s famous “City by the Bay” for the first time in June 2016, it opened a vital corridor that would carry more than half a million passengers and operate over 2,300 flights over the next decade. The San Francisco service now runs three times weekly—with a fourth flight added during peak travel seasons—and has recorded double-digit passenger growth across its history.
However, this route was never just about leisure travel. It serves Fiji’s large and established Pacific Islander and Fijian diaspora across the Bay Area and the broader West Coast, maintaining essential community and family connections that no amount of video calling quite replaces. It also gives travellers from the United States seamless access to Fiji Airways’ wider Pacific network and onward connections through the airline’s Oneworld Alliance partners.
Fiji Airways Managing Director and CEO Paul Scurrah described the anniversary as both a milestone and a foundation. “The North American market represents our biggest long-term potential for growth, not just for Fiji Airways but for Fiji’s tourism industry,” he said. “This milestone is a reminder of how far we have come.”
San Francisco International Airport Director Mike Nakornkhet welcomed the occasion, noting a decade of strengthened tourism, business, and cultural ties between the Bay Area and the South Pacific.
Tourism Fiji CEO Dr. Paresh Pant pointed to the route’s role in making Fiji genuinely accessible to American travellers. “Direct connectivity is one of the most important enablers of tourism growth,” he said, emphasising that the San Francisco service has been a consistent contributor to that success.
New Direct Flights: Nadi to the Gold Coast
Less than two weeks after the San Francisco (SFO) anniversary, Fiji Airways landed at Gold Coast Airport in Queensland, Australia for the first time. The inaugural flight departed Nadi on the morning of June 11, touching down at 11:30am AEST. Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka was among those on board, alongside Queensland Airports Limited CEO Amelia Evans and Scurrah. At the Gold Coast, the delegation was received with a customary ceremony honouring the bonds of Vanua, culture, and community.
The Gold Coast has now become Fiji Airways‘ seventh Australian destination, joining Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Cairns, and Canberra. Services operate three times weekly on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays aboard the fuel-efficient Boeing 737 MAX 8, adding more than 53,000 seats annually to the market.
The new flight schedules are highly convenient for travellers in both directions. From Nadi, the service departs at 9:15am and arrives at 11:30am Gold Coast time. The return flight departs at 12:30pm and lands in Nadi at 5:55pm local time. At under three and a half hours each way, it is a genuinely easy hop.
Crucially, the new Gold Coast connection also adds practical value to the San Francisco route. Through Nadi, travellers from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver, and Honolulu now have a seamless one-stop path to the Gold Coast. This is a major selling point for local tourism. Experience Gold Coast CEO John Warn noted that North American and Canadian visitors to the Gold Coast numbered 51,000 in 2025, generating $109 million in spend, and this route gives that market a far more convenient routing.
Scurrah called the launch a landmark moment. “The Gold Coast shares Fiji’s warmth, energy, and spirit of adventure. Since announcing this route, demand has been exceptional with strong forward bookings, and today that excitement finally becomes a reality.”
What These New Routes Mean for Pacific Travel
Taken together, the SFO anniversary and the Gold Coast launch reflect a carrier that has moved well past survival mode and is now growing its network with clear intent. North America and Australia remain Fiji’s two most significant visitor markets, and stronger, more frequent air links between Fiji and both regions matter directly to the broader tourism industry.
For travellers, the practical upshot is straightforward: more airline seats, increased flight frequencies, and better travel options across the Pacific.
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