At all times, the airline was focused on the safety and security of staff and guests stated Fiji Airways Managing Director and CEO, Andre Viljoen as he welcomed the pilgrims at Nadi International Airport this morning.

Viljoen says he wants to extend his deepest gratitude to the Fijian government and the Israeli authorities for their guidance and advice, as their support was instrumental in ensuring the safe return of the guests.

He says to our valued guests, welcome back home as your safety has always been our topmost priority, and we are overjoyed to see you return.

Viljoen also acknowledged the entire Fiji Airways team behind the success of the repatriation flight including the onboard crew who flew into Tel Aviv, the operations and flight planning team, safety and security team and everyone else who played a part.

The flight brought into Nadi 243 guests, including 46 individuals who were not part of the charter but requested assistance in leaving Israel which included citizens from Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada and the Phillipines.

In anticipation of a return flight, Fiji Airways had pre-positioned an aircraft and crew in Hong Kong, ready to fly to the Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv.