Diwali Fireworks Notice - 2022

PUBLIC NOTICE

Past trends have shown that there are a high number of aviation incident reports involving fireworks in the vicinity of airports received during the Diwali festive season.

Fireworks can be dangerous and for this reason, their use is strictly controlled. The public is warned that any fireworks activity that is directed at or towards aircraft, particularly during an aircraft’s critical phases of flight such as take-off and approach to landing at an airport, could endanger the aircraft and the lives of passengers on board.

Shooting or directing fireworks within proximity of aircraft flying, taxiing or parked is a serious breach of Fiji’s Air Navigation Regulations 1981 and is a criminal offence.  Any person who is caught shooting/directing fireworks at an aircraft shall be liable for criminal prosecution.

In the interest of Public Safety: -

1. DO NOT direct any firework activity at or towards any aircraft or airport;
2. If you see anyone directing firework activity at an aircraft or airport, report it immediately to the nearest Police Post;
3. IT IS PROHIBITED to operate any fireworks within 5 kilometers of the Nadi and Nausori International Airports OR within 3 kilometers of other Domestic Airports, AND beyond these 5km and 3km prohibited areas, the fireworks should not exceed a display height in excess of 61m (200ft) above ground level.

Permission under Regulation 78 (2) of the Air Navigation Regulations 1981, may be obtained to conduct fireworks activity, subject to conditions specified by CAAF. 

In this regard, during this 2022 Diwali festive period, the use of fireworks within the 5km and 3km prohibited areas in (3) above shall ONLY BE PERMITTED between 5pm and midnight on Tuesday 25^th and Wednesday 26^th October 2022, PROVIDED such fireworks displays are restricted to areas outside 500m on either side of the approach and take-off path from any airport runway and is kept below 61m (200ft) above ground level.

Any proposed fireworks activity within this restricted area must be coordinated with the Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji (CAAF) for assessment and determination of the degree of hazard to air safety the activity will impose.

A CAAF fireworks permission does not cover permits/approvals required by other organisations for a fireworks display.

For any clarification, please contact CAAF’s Ground Safety Department by email:

info @caaf.org.fj or Telephone: 998 4498/ 221 6826.