Fiji Times – 21 March 2019
THE Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji says it has implemented strategies to ensure incidents like Fiji Airports air traffic control staffing issues did not affect safety at the Nadi and Nausori international airports.
“Contingency procedures that have been developed for such situations have been activated to ensure the safety of the travelling public is not compromised under the current Fiji Airports staffing circumstances,” said CAAF acting chief executive officer Ajai Kumar.
He was responding to claims by National Federation Party leader Professor Biman Prasad in a statement issued yesterday that safety at both gateways had been “seriously compromised”.
Prof Prasad said this was because of the ongoing ‘impasse’ between Fiji Airports management and air traffic controllers.
Prof Prasad claimed both airports were unable to provide correct air traffic information to inbound and outbound pilots because of Fiji Airport’s poor handling of air traffic controllers’ employment concerns.
He further claimed he had been informed that both Nadi and Nausori airports had been classified as Category G — meaning pilots were taking off and landing “at their own determination of air safety”.
In response to Prof Prasad’s statement, Fiji Airports said out of policy it would not respond to political statements.
