A trial date has been set for the hearing on the judicial review case that was filed by eight pilots who were sacked by the Air Niugini management.
The pilots were terminated between Sept 1 and 15 over allegations of misconduct.
Justice Collin Makail of the Waigani National Court will hear submissions on the case on Dec 22.
Justice Makail set the hearing date today for Dec 22 so the matter can be expedited despite the court going into vacation break on Dec 20.
On Oct 7, the National Court stayed the pilots’ termination when it allowed their case to go through for judicial review.
Between July 13 and 20, 2016, Air Niugini experienced an increase in the number of national pilots reporting sick and unable to attend work after a stop-work took place, calling on Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to step down from office. The stop work was not an industrial issue and began on 13 July, 2016.
Captains Joseph Kumasi, Vincent Tonga, Norman Daniel, Boris Ageda, Benjamin Lopa, and first officers Elijah Yuangi, David Seken and Abel Kanego, were terminated by the Air Niugini management between Sept 1 and 15 over allegations of misconduct.
They were terminated for refusing to attend to the company’s approved doctor for a second medical opinion after they provided medical certificates for days they missed work on.
They were also terminated for failing to report for duty for reasons of security concern, and sharing Facebook posts that called for civilians not to go for work during the month of July.
They were terminated because they did not turn up for work, which resulted in many flights being interrupted and many passengers stranded during the stop-work period.
(Loop PNG file picture of the pilots and their lawyer, Moses Murray, on Oct 7 outside court)