Drama came to Nadi Airport on 19 May 1987 . The first coup had just occurred ( 14 May 1987 ) . Prime Minister Dr Timoci Bavadra and his cabinet were under arrest , and tension continued to rise in the country . Air New Zealand Flight 24 made a scheduled stop to refuel , en route from Tokyo ( Narita Airport ) to Auckland . Ahmjed Ali , an aircraft refueller , used his security card to board the aeroplane and , once in the cockpit , showed the captain that he was carrying dynamite . He wanted passage out of Fiji and the release of Dr Bavadra . The passengers and cabin crew were able to disembark , while Air New Zealand negotiators in Auckland and Ali 's relatives in the Nadi control tower attempted to defuse the escalating situation . Eventually , the flight engineer hit Ali over the head with a bottle of duty-free whisky , and he was handed over to the Nadi police
Air New Zealand Flight 24
Air New Zealand Flight 24
Nadi International Airport