Paul Scurrah Appointed Fiji Airways’ CEO
By Andrew Curran.
Paul Scurrah will become the next CEO of Fiji Airways. Scurrah, who is best known in the aviation industry as the former CEO of Virgin Australia, replaces Andre Viljeon, who is taking on the CEO’s role at Air Mauritius.
Scurrah says he is excited about his new job and grateful to Fiji Airways board for the opportunity. “Andre and the board have done a masterful job in building and leading such a strong team and brand that is so highly respected internationally and locally,” he said.
Australian born, Scurrah’s career includes stints at Qantas, Ansett Australia, and Virgin Australia. He was also a founding executive and investor in Regional Express (Rex). Scurrah was CEO of Virgin Australia between March 2019 and November 2020, steering the airline through the initial stages of its administration.
Fiji Airways Chairman Nalin Patel said that Scurrah built momentum across operations, employee engagement, and customer satisfaction while Virgin Australia CEO.
“He was recognised for his strategic leadership, steering the airline through one of the most turbulent periods in modern aviation, the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Patel in a statement. “When international travel came to a halt, Scurrah led a rapid and complex restructuring that preserved core routes, safeguarded jobs, and positioned the airline for recovery.”
Ultimately, Virgin Australia’s new owners, Bain Capital, replaced Scurrah with one of their own, Jayne Hrdlicka. Scurrah became the CEO of major Australian rail freight operator, Pacific National. However, he was widely viewed as having done a good job at Virgin Australia, despite having inherited a basket case of an airline.
The new role will see Scurrah shift his base to Suva. This time, his predecessor is leaving behind an airline in good shape. During his ten years as CEO, Andre Viljeon nearly doubled the Fiji Airways' fleet from 12 to 23 aircraft, including adding four new A350-900s. Annual revenue grew from FJD815.3 million (USD358.4 million) in 2015 to FJD1.9 billion (USD840 million) in 2024.
Most recently, Fiji Airways became the smallest airline (measured by fleet size) to become an APEX top ten carrier. Viljeon also oversaw Fiji Airways’ recent transition to full oneworld membership.
“I have big shoes to fill,” said Scurrah. “I love that I’m back in the aviation industry and at Fiji Airways, its got to be one of the best jobs in the world.”
Fiji Airways is now the third most significant international airline in the Southwest Pacific, behind Qantas and Air New Zealand. While it links Fiji to Singapore (SIN), Tokyo (NRT) and Hong Kong (HKG), Fiji Airways has also adopted an Icelandair-style model, using its Nadi (NAN) hub to transfer passengers coming off flights from its nine ports in Australia and New Zealand and onto flights to its five destinations in North America, and vice versa. It’s proving a popular alternative to the fourteen hour plus non-stop treks across the Pacific, and the lure of a weekend resort stopover in Fiji value adds to the proposition.
Early reports of Scurrah’s initial priorities include expanding Fiji Airways’ network in North America.
Scurrah will take up the CEO’s role on November 1, 2025. He retains non-executive board positions at RPM Global and Web Travel Group.
Viljoen will remain on the Fiji Airways board to “ensure continuity”. The airline says his new role at Air Mauritius does not create a conflict of interest, as the airline serves different regions.
Aircraft photo: AI-Generated.
Paul Scurrah photo: Fiji Airways.