Watch: The new Boeing 737 heading to New Zealand for Fiji Airways

An impression of Fiji Airways' 737MAX 8 which is joining the fleet later this year.

Fiji Airways is on track to be the first airline to bring the new-generation Boeing 737 to New Zealand.

The airline is refreshing and expanding its international fleet and says the 737MAX 8 is the right plane for its short-haul international network. It plans to fly the plane on New Zealand routes later this year.

READ MORE: • Watch: Inside Fiji Airways' premier lounge at Nadi

Fiji Airways' chief executive, Andre Viljoen, said the new planes would replace the five older model 737-800s this year and next year.

''We believe they are the right aircraft for our requirements — we also got a very good commercial deal from Boeing.''

The MAXs will be used on its services to New Zealand and Australia and other Pacific nations - Samoa, Tonga and Hawaii.

The airline is also adding two new Airbus A330s to its fleet of four to fly on its long-haul routes to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Hong Kong, Singapore and, soon, Japan.

Viljoen was in New Zealand this week to announce Fiji Airways had become the airline partner for the Crusaders rugby team, a sponsorship he said fitted well with Fijians' love of rugby. The company has 15 flights a week to New Zealand, including services to Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland.

During the past three years capacity was up 32 per cent. However, its rivals have also increased flights to Fiji and Air New Zealand was putting bigger aircraft on flights to Nadi.

''New Zealand has been a very good market - yields unfortunately are off a bit in the last two years as a result of a lot of competition and capacity,'' Viljoen said.

An impression of Fiji Airways' 737MAX 8 which is joining the fleet later this year.

Other routes were performing strongly and the airline was on track to beat last year's record profit of F$84.5 million ($56.6m).

He warned that increasing fuel prices could lead to higher fares.

''Like all airlines we're pretty concerned about the future. At this stage the airlines like us are absorbing it but if it continues along that trajectory we'll have to make some adjustments.''

His airline had a commercial deal with start-up Samoa Airways, which began flying last year. The two airlines co-operate on the Nadi-Apia route and Nadi-Honolulu.

Fiji Airways was a ''role model'' for others in the Pacific.

''We believe it's important to have the independence in the country to decide which markets we're going to service. So we play a very important role in leading the tourism growth in the country,'' he said.

Late last year the airline opened its flagship premium lounge in Nadi, which he said had been well received.