Fiji Airways takes Aussies
Close to 50 Australians who were stranded in Fiji, left the country yesterday for Sydney on a
Fiji Airways evacuation flight.
Australian High
Commissioner
John Feakes confirmed the matter when contacted.
He said the 50 to 60
Australians were stranded in Fiji since the borders closed following Fiji’s first case of coronavirus.
“There are over 400 Australians in Fiji, most of whom are long term residents working here.
“The majority of this number were happy to stay back here in Fiji rather than return home,” Mr Feakes said. He said the remaining Australian holiday makers were expected to book the next Fiji Airways flight chartered by the German Government to repatriate their nationals. “We expect New Zealand nationals returning home to book on either of these flights as they can then fly back home from Australia.”
Seven flights
In a statement yesterday, Fiji Airways chief executive officer Andre Viljoen said the airline had undertaken seven flights in total for freight, charter and passenger evacuation.
“Evacuation flights will be operated to Sydney and Los Angeles.”
A Fiji Airways spokesperson said the return flight from Los Angeles was expected to carry cargo although he could not say what was being brought.
“The airline also positioned its other A330 aircraft in Brisbane and Sydney due to the approach of Tropical Cyclone Harold.”
The aircraft would return to Fiji once the cyclone threat had passed.
“Two Fiji Airways’s B737 aircraft, along with the entire Fiji Link fleet, are securely stored at the airline’s hangar in Nadi.”