The Minister for State Owned Enterprises (SOE), William Duma, visited the Air Niugini Head office and its Engineering facilities in Port Moresby to see first-hand the work being done, understand the challenges they face and what strategies have been adopt
Minister Duma, was accompanied by Kumul Consolidated Holdings (KCH) Chairman, Moses Maladina, KCH Managing Director, Professor David Kavanamur and Acting Director Karl Yalo. Air Niugini Acting CEO, Gary Seddon, and his management team welcome the visitors.
“Air Niugini is your airline… we all need to work together, to turn around this great company,” said Minister Duma. “The Minister then rallied the staff and challenged them to look within themselves to work toward successful outcomes. There is no room for mediocre performances. We must work harder, to deliver affordable, reliable services. Our people deserve nothing less.”
“The national airline plays a critical role in the development of Papua New Guinea. We are embarking on a major fleet replacement transaction, and we are fortunate to have the continued support and guidance of our Minister and our government; particularly in our 50th year of operation.”
“Prior to the arrival of our brand-new aircraft, we will welcome an interim fleet of six including Boeing 737-800s and Q400 Turboprop aircraft, by September 2023,” Mr Seddon said. “Our new aircraft arrive from 2025. Manufacturer lead times are lengthy because of challenging global supply chain issues.”
The visitors toured departments and met members of the executive team, HR and Properties, Safety Audit and Risk, Finance and Treasury, Tours, Destinations and Corporate Business Development.
Minister said the staff are confident and competent, demonstrating the level of exposure and training. He appreciated the informative discussion. “I am very impressed with the quality of staff I have met today. Some are working under challenging circumstances but are still very committed and engaging,” he said.