Safety remains Fiji Airways highest priority and the airline undertake rigorous pre-flight inspections to ensure all aircraft are operationally ready says national airline

This was after a Fiji Airways passenger flight to Auckland yesterday morning was delayed after a foreign object, prayer beads, were found in one of the engines at the Nadi International Airport.

A Fiji Airways spokesperson said: “Fiji Airways can confirm that foreign objects were found placed around the exhaust area of an A330 aircraft engine.

“The objects were found by Fiji Airways engineers undertaking pre-flight inspections.

“Fiji Airways has reported the matter to Fiji Airports Limited and Fiji Police and understands that the Police are investigating.

“Out of an abundance of caution, Fiji Airways is undertaking a thorough inspection of this particular A330 aircraft and all others parked at Nadi International Airport.

“The A330 aircraft was swapped with another to operate a repatriation flight this morning, causing a delay to this service by an hour and 20 minutes,” the spokesperson said.

Police spokesperson Savaira Gonedua said: “Investigations underway.”

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