Parliamentary Committee urges Fiji Airways to recover unpaid Israel charter costs

The Standing Committee on Social Affairs has urged Fiji Airways to immediately pursue all avenues to recover the unpaid costs from the controversial 2023 Israel charter flight.

The call was highlighted in the committee’s review of the airline’s 2023 Annual Report, tabled in Parliament this month. Recovering the outstanding charter fees was listed as a key recommendation.

“The committee strongly recommends that Fiji Airways should immediately find avenues to recover cost incurred for the special chartered flight to Israel,” the report stated.

The charter flight, operated in September and October 2023, transported passengers to the Feast of the Tabernacle religious tour in Israel.

Fiji Airways is now seeking to recover $3,163,013.70 in unpaid charter payments.

The airline has taken legal action against charter organiser Pacific Voyager and several other defendants. Fiji Airways chief executive officer Andre Viljoen confirmed during the committee’s September hearing that the matter is before the High Court.

“This was a commercial arrangement, and unfortunately, the customer has not paid the bills. We are suing. The matter is in the courts,” Mr Viljoen told the committee.

In October, the court was told that a cheque issued by the organisers for court costs had bounced.

The defendants in the case include Pacific Voyager, Kane Holdings, Christian Mission Fellowship International, and director Michael Martin Mausio.

Despite Fiji Airways reporting its highest-ever revenue of $1.8 billion in 2023, the multimillion-dollar unpaid charter remains unresolved.

Committee chairperson Iliesa Vanawalu led the detailed review of the national airline’s performance.