7 May 2002

Fiji airline CEO says he was misquoted about safety

5:08 pm on 7 May 2002

The chief executive of Fiji airline, Sun Air, says reports that he's concerned about the safety of passengers on domestic flights are totally untrue.

Don Collingwood says he was misquoted by a local newspaper reporter and that the airports and airstrips the company flies to meet all requirements.

The report stated that flights were landing at airports without lights, fire tenders, firefighters and air traffic controllers to assist them.

Mr Collingwood says that is not the point.

"It is not an ICAO international civil aviation organisation requirement to have fire-fighters for small aircraft such as we operate - nor is it a requirement to have controllers for the small aircraft such as we operate - and this is the case in NewZealand, Australia, anywhere in the world."

Mr Collingwood says air traffic controllers do regulate the flights for small airstrips but from larger airports.