Fiji Airways has become the only airline in Oceania to ever be named an Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) World Class Airline, with CEO Andre Viljoen describing it as “one of the proudest moments” in his career.

The recognition, announced on Friday last week, puts Fiji Airways among the top 10 airlines in the world, according to APEX. It also makes it the smallest airline by fleet size to attain the accolade.

The award is judged through a rigorous process that combined independent audits with global passenger feedback. Excellence in the areas of safety, sustainability, well-being, service and customer experience are all considered.

It represents a huge advance from 2016, when the airline was not even considered within the top 100, according to Viljoen, who paid tribute to the commitment of the airline’s people and the “unbreakable” Fijian spirit.

“This recognition was not won easily,” Viljoen said. “It demanded a complete transformation of our airline – from rethinking every part of the inflight experience, to building new supply chains, to investing in intensive training for our crew, and raising every standard to the highest level.”

Among these achievements are the reimagining of its inflight dining, with recent Pacific Rim-inspired menus, the introduction of new premium products and the training of its cabin crew “at the highest standards”.

“We are a small airline from a small island nation, but we have proven that size is no barrier to excellence,” Viljoen continued. “We are the David in a world of Goliaths — and today, we are winning.”

The kudos follows a strong 2024 for the airline, with it achieving record profit and operating revenue of $131.81 million and $1.8 billion respectively. The year also saw the airline recognised by Skytrax as the “Best Airline in Australia and Pacific” among other awards including “Best Airline Staff” in the region for the fourth year running. It also became a full member of the oneworld alliance during 2024.