Civil Aviation Minister Viliame Gavoka told Parliament yesterday that authorities are still unable to determine how a live bullet casing ended up inside a Fiji Airways aircraft earlier this year.
The casing was discovered on the evening of April 7, 2025, inside an overhead locker on flight FJ910, which had just arrived in Nadi from Sydney and was scheduled to continue on to Los Angeles.
Security personnel found the casing during a routine pre-departure aircraft search.
Despite extensive investigation, including assistance from Fiji Airways and overseas station managers in Dallas and Sydney, no conclusive explanation has been found.
“Overhead compartments are shared spaces,” Mr Gavoka explained.
“They are not restricted to the passenger seated directly below, which complicates the task of identifying who may have placed the item there.”
Authorities reviewed passenger data, flight movements, and handling procedures across three international legs—Dallas to Nadi, Nadi to Sydney, and Sydney back to Nadi.
But the source of the casing remains unknown.
“This is a concern, but it’s also a reassurance that our security systems worked,” Mr Gavoka added.
He confirmed that both the Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji and Fiji Airways have enhanced quality control measures in response.
