People who are making negative comments about the new Fiji Airways A350 XWB aircraft being leased are unpatriotic says Civil Aviation Minister.

Fiji’s national carrier last night welcomed its second A350 at the Nadi International Airport, named the Island of Vanua Levu.

While responding to FBC News about public criticism, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said it’s unfortunate that some people don’t understand that many airlines around the world lease their aircraft.

“If you look at most airlines in the world, they all have what you call a lease financial arrangement and when you even have very large airline companies they don’t actually go and pay $15 billion dollars and buy 20 aircraft.”

Sayed-Khaiyum says Civil Aviation is a very sophisticated industry and there are companies that specialize in providing lease finance.

“so the airline actually goes and negotiates the price the airline does all the negotiations than the airline has all what you call these aviation finance companies they will provide the funds upfront and you do repayments to them over 10, 12 or 15 year period I mean it just makes sense because most of the airline companies in the world do that because nobody goes out and folks out $15 billion or what whatever the amount is.”

He stresses that no one should pay any attention to people making negative comments because the majority of Fijians are proud of the new A350 XWB aircraft.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama joined the delivery flight from Los Angeles in the United States and was part of celebrations in Nadi.

The ‘Island of Vanua Levu’ will undertake its first commercial service tomorrow, servicing the Nadi-Auckland-Nadi route.