Fiji Airways (FJ, Nadi) has taken delivery of its first B737-8 following the arrival of DQ-FAB (msn 64307) in Nadi from Seattle Boeing Field via Honolulu on December 1.

The Pacific carrier has five B737 MAX 8s on order from Boeing (BOE, Washington National) of which two are due to be delivered this year with the remaining three to arrive in 2019.

Collectively, the MAX will replace Fiji Airways' existing fleet of one B737-700 and four B737-800s. As such, DQ-FAB will replace B737-800 DQ-FJG (msn 29968), the local Fiji Sun newspaper reported.

“The addition of these new state-of-the-art aircraft from 2018 will continue the modernisation of the Fiji Airways fleet that we began three years ago with the delivery of the first wide-bodied A330-200," Andre Viljoen, Fiji Airways Managing Director and CEO said in a statement. "Now that we are adding new and very efficient B737 MAX 8s, Fiji Airways will have one of the youngest fleets in the Asia Pacific. Which means not only lower operating costs and a smaller carbon footprint but a level of comfort and service for the travelling public that represents yet another leap forward for our national airline."

Fiji Airways expects to begin B737 MAX 8 operations later this month with Adelaide International, Australia its inaugural destination.

Fiji Airways also operates five A330-200s and one A330-300 while its Fiji Link subsidiary operates one ATR42-600, two ATR72-600s, one DHC-6-300, and four DHC-6-400s. Aside from services throughout Fiji, Fiji Airways also offers short- and medium-haul flights to destinations in Australia, New Zealand, Kiribati, Samoa, Singapore, Hong Kong, Tonga, the Solomon Islands, the United States, and Vanuatu.