Papua New Guinea is among several Pacific Island nations seeking a codesharing agreement with Japan national airline.
During the recent 71st United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York, Japan Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, met with island leaders where the idea was raised.
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Rimbink Pato, who was a part of the PNG delegation and attended the meeting, spoke on behalf of PNG’s national carrier to Prime Minister Abe.
“The Prime Minister of Japan has agreed with us, and with the other Pacific Island Leaders that he will get technical officials from Japan Airlines to look into that proposition, and he will advise us next as to the possibility of codesharing between Japan Airlines and Air Niugini to fly to Micronesia, Melanesia and Polynesia,” Minister Pato said.
A codeshare agreement is an aviation business arrangement where two or more airlines share the same flight.
This means each airline publishes and markets the flight under its own airline designator and flight. A seat can be purchased on each airline's designator and flight number, but is operated by only one of these cooperating airlines
Pato says Japanese tourists wish to have access to more of the Pacific but cannot with the current
“Japan Airline should look at a codeshare arrangement with Air Niugini because Air Niugini already flies to the Federates States of Micronesia, into Pohnpei and Truk (Chuuk),” he said.
“A multitude of them coming or trying to come to Micronesia, but they have difficulties coming through Guam, and Air Niugini’s plan is to fly to Micronesia, Polynesia and return home through the Melanesian countries.”