Temple Trip Flight disrupted by Volcanic ashes

Two families from Vanuatu travelling to Tonga on Monday the 12th of January to go to the temple had to return to Fiji as their flight couldn't land due to poor visibility from ashes of an erupting volcano on Hunga Ha'apai.

The Mahit and Kalanau families back in Suva after their flight failed to land in Tonga.

Public Affairs Director Sulueti Kama said that she was surprised when Lucy Mahit called her from the airport to say that their flight had to be returned just 15 minutes before landing as pilots had problems with visibility due to the volcanic ashes.

The Fiji Airways flight FJ271 was one of the the aircraft that had to turn away from Tonga because of this problem. FJ270 that was confirmed to depart on the 13th, a day after, was again cancelled in the last hour as visibility on the island had not improved.

Lucy Mahit is hoping they can travel later on in the week as she is going to be sealed to her parents. these two families were supposed to return to Vanuatu on Sunday.