Andre Viljoen, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Fiji Airways, will be stepping down from his role effective October 2025, having accepted the position of CEO at Air Mauritius. Viljoen’s appointment will see him return to the carrier after a decade of leadership in Fiji.
Fiji Airways’ Chairman Nalin Patel lauded Viljoen for his “outstanding leadership” over the past 10 years, which has seen the South Pacific based carrier soar in recent years.
Under Viljoen’s direction, Fiji Airways improved its SKYTRAX Rating to 4 Stars, and has seen the carrier’s global ranking rise from 102nd in 2015 to 14th in 2024.
Fiji Airways was awarded ‘Best Airline in Australia/Pacific’ for two consecutive years and earned the APEX 5 Star Major Airline rating for three years running.
During his tenure, Fiji Airways’ fleet has doubled in size, from 12 aircraft in 2015 to 24 today, including four new generation Airbus A350s.
Annual revenue has grown significantly, from FJ$815.3 million in 2015 to FJ$1.9 billion in 2024.Viljoen also led the development of Fiji Airways’ Aviation Academy, now home to four state-of-the-art full-flight simulators. This initiative has attracted major third-party clients such as Air Tahiti, Cathay Pacific, and Qantas.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Viljoen’s visionary ‘Future-Fit Ready Strategy’ ensured the airline’s survival and rapid recovery once borders reopened. Thanks to this proactive approach, Fiji Airways was the first to resume services when borders reopened in Australia and New Zealand. This positioned us for exceptional post-COVID growth, resulting in record passenger numbers and financial performance in 2023.
To ensure continuity, he will remain on the Board of Directors after his transition.
An extensive search will be conducted to identify the most suitable candidate for the MD CEO role.
“We once again thank Andre for his extraordinary service and wish him continued success in his new role,” Patel added.
Air Mauritius said Viljoen will assume office effective 15 October 2025.
