Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says Fiji Airways was able to fly its A330 aircraft into Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport and whisk Fijians to safety within a turnaround time of only two hours despite the anxiety and uncertainty caused by the Hamas attack on Israel.
Mr Rabuka shared this at the Nadi International Airport yesterday in a moving ceremonial affair to welcome home the 198 Fiji nationals and 48 Pacific pilgrims who were safely evacuated from Israel.
The group arrived home at around 3.30am and were welcomed by the PM, Fiji Airways staff, family members and loved ones.
“Today, I stand with all Fijians to commend the valor, sacrifice and tireless efforts of all who organised the daring, but well planned and executed repatriation of our fellow citizens and pilgrims amidst the ongoing strife in Israel,” Mr Rabuka said.
“I say well planned and executed because this was a labour of love, from the incident team charged with liaising with the insurers and the many people involved in planning and outfitting this repatriation mission seamlessly.”
The PM said diplomatic mission personnel in New York, Canberra and Abu Dhabi negotiated tirelessly, made calls and facilitated what was needed to bring our people home.
He also made special mention of pilots Captain Richard Yuen, Captain Seini Cornish, Captain Etika Tuisue and Captain Mukesh Patel, who, with their world class expertise and manifest courage, undertook a historic and unprecedented mission into an uncertain situation.
“Our collective prayers have been answered with the safe return of our pilgrims from a conflict that has claimed many innocent lives, including women and children.
“Watching and listening to your singing praises and our national anthem, I knew you were steadfast in your faith and confident that your return flight would be there, on time, as scheduled.”
