Flag carrier airline Fiji Airways has expressed an interest in the possibility of carrying out its own ground handling services at Nadi International Airport.
The issue was broached in the island nation’s parliament, as the Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Civil Aviation Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum responded to questions by Opposition Whip Lynda Tabuya.
“Ground handling services that is currently done by the Air Terminal Services for the last 35 years, will that be taken over by Fiji Airways?” asked Tabuya. “And if so when will that happen?
Sayed-Khaiyum replied that wrongdoing had been exposed in the current ground handling operation, with a sweep of employees’ lockers revealing personal items of passengers which had been taken out of suitcases.
He said that Fiji Airways was considering putting camera in the baggage hold as bait, “so it’s easy to locate those people who are involved.”
He added that it was not simply a matter of reporting the thefts to police, but also about having the right culture within the organisation.
For these reasons, said Sayed-Khaiyum, Fiji Airways was considering putting in place their own ground handling and catering services.
“There’s no exclusivity in place as far as the legal framework is concerned,” he said.
