A hearing date in the civil claim concerning the $3million Fiji Airways Jerusalem charter case will be fixed in two months.
Fiji Airways lawyer Nilesh Prasad informed Acting Master of the High Court Liyanage Kashyapa Wickramasekara the parties had filed their submissions in November and were ready for a hearing date.
However, the March 2026 date suggested by the court was not suitable for Mr Prasad, given his busy court schedule so he requested for a date in April.
One of the three applications sought by the airline was a summary judgment to be heard and determined by the Acting Master Wickramasekara next year.
The other defendants in the case are International Christian Embassy Jerusalem trustees — Viliame Gonelevu, Aisake Kunanitu, Ana Soqeta and Mikaele Mudreilagi — who’re represented by Aca Rayawa, and Christian Mission Fellowship International senior pastor Manasa Tuqani Kolivuso who is represented by Pita Niubalavu.
Fiji Airways instituted civil proceedings against the defendants seeking orders for the payment of $3,163,013.40, plus interest and costs.
On the last occasion, three other defendants, WABS Pacific Pte Ltd, Kane Holding Pte Ltd and Michael Martin Enele Sturtin Mausio, who chartered the flight to Israel in October 2023, had their pleadings struck out and dismissed because of their failure to submit required documents.
The case stems from the non-payment of the charter in 2023 when 255 pilgrims travelled to Israel for the Feast of the Tabernacles.
The group was repatriated after Hamas conducted a series of coordinated attacks on Israel on October 7.
The case will be recalled on February 6, 2026.
