DELAYS for students at the Pacific Flying School are unavoidable after the Government declined to renew the maintenance certificate for Sunflower Aviation, a subsidiary of Joyce Aviation Group, says Civil Aviation Minister Viliame Gavoka.
The certificate expired last Saturday. Mr Gavoka told Parliament the matter needed clarity because it involved air operations, aviation training and maintenance oversight.
“Its Aircraft Maintenance Organisation Certificate expired on 22 November, 2025 following a regulatory assessment that identified repeated and serious non-compliances,” he said.
He said the Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji acted independently.
“This decision was made by the Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji under its statutory mandate, free from external influence, grounded in evidence, procedure, and duty.”
Mr Gavoka acknowledged the consequences for students and families. “We acknowledge the operational disruptions this has caused. Students will experience delays, training schedules will shift, and families will feel the impact. These realities are not dismissed. Yet, no disruption outweighs the obligation to protect lives. No timeline supersedes safety.”
He said the regulator had indicated it would consider any rectification proposal.
“Future certification will depend solely on demonstrated compliance, nothing more, nothing less. Safety is neither optional nor negotiable; it is the rule that governs our aviation system and protects every passenger, every crew member, and every aspiring student in this vital sector.”
Authority faces scrutiny after certificate lapse
REPORTED efforts to meet the Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji before the expiry of Sunflower Aviation’s maintenance certificate were unsuccessful, says Joyce Aviation Group managing director and CEO Tim Joyce.
Mr Joyce said he was notified on Friday night that the Government would not renew the certificate, which lapsed the following day.
“They have rejected calls or didn’t turn up to meetings, and suddenly we were advised it would not be reviewed when it expired on Saturday night,” he said.
He said the impact was immediate.
“The following day, we had three medical evacuation requests, and one of them we just found out asked again if we could take them and we were told one of the people that needed to be medevac’d had died,” he said.
Mr Joyce said the decision affected staff members, about 100 students and the travelling public.
He claimed long-standing issues with the regulator needed urgent review.
“There also needs to be a thorough, independent, impartial investigation into the practice of CAAF.”
He said 14 grounded aircraft were disrupting flying hours and delaying multi-engine training.
“All students are continuously stuck without the aircraft.
“Student hours are down by 50 per cent because most of the aircraft are on the ground.”
Questions have been sent to the Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji.
Decision stalls training
CONCERNS are growing among trainee pilots after the Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji’s refusal to renew the Joyce Aviation Group’s maintenance certificate, a move students say has brought their training to a standstill and placed heavy financial pressure on families.
A second-year student, who asked not to be named, said the decision had left many feeling abandoned.
“It is creating a negative impact on students,” he said.
“There have been no incidents so far that are causing CAAF to take such actions.”
He said instructors had raised no safety concerns.
“Every flight instructor is experienced and has sensed no sort of danger in any of the aircraft,” he said.
“The grudge CAAF holds for PFS is stabbing every student’s dream and hopes for flying.”
With multi-engine training usually completed within six weeks, the grounding has pushed students into unexpected costs for accommodation, food, transport and licence renewals.
“It’s been so long, families are paying for rent, daily expenses like groceries, fuel, bills, and other expenses.
“And a massive financial burden on families as a whole.”
He said the prolonged halt had also affected learning. Some students have not flown for months and are now requesting recent flights, adding to costs as commercial pilot licences expire every six months.
More than 30 students are affected.
Questions have been sent to the Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji.
