Air Pac staff encouraged to take leave

Fiji's international airline is encouraging staff, including pilots, to take accumulated annual leave and are allowing cabin crew to take leave without pay if they wish.

This had been confirmed by Air Pacific Chief Executive John Campbell who said this is a result of pilots operating a reduced number of hours which has been brought on by the airline operating about 12.5 percent less capacity than the same time last year.

He said this move provides a correct matching of resources to production and is viable for the airline.

Campbell had earlier confirmed that the airline's bookings have decreased for the first four months of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008 and added that overall business is down around 25 percent on the same period last year which is broadly in line with the reduced level of visitor arrivals in the country.