Improving aviation safety before the 2018 APEC summit is one of the focus areas of the PNG aviation sector.
In an interview with Loop PNG, outgoing Chairman of the PNG Aviation Safety Conference, Mark Wheatly, said the international meet required specific standards which the country must meet.
“Were looking forward to APEC which is November 2018 (and) there’s going to be some impact on the industry around that PNG.”
“But basically we’re trying to improve aviation safety in PNG be it fixed wing, rotary wing, (and) on the ground,” he said.
Wheatley, who is the Aviation Coordinator for Newcrest Mining says there has been great strides in the aviation safety and there is continuous monitoring of other risks and issues.
Originally starting out as the ‘PNG Resource Sector Aviation Safety Conference’ four years ago, the group meets twice a year to address aviation issues affecting the resource sector as well as the aviation sector in general.
They also are actively involved in the Civil Aviation & Safety Authority (CASA) Conference annually.
The conference today was attended by the PNG Air Service, National Airports Corporation, Accident Investigation Commission, CASA, Oil Search, PNG Air, and other industry players.
In August during the 2016 Aviation Safety and Security Conference in Kokopo, Minister for Civil Aviation, Steven Davies, said security threats to the aviation industry were a serious reality and safety needed to be a top priority.