A local businessman in Mendi, Southern Highlands Province, has questioned the delay in the Mendi Airport upgrade.
Alex Awesa says the delay in the reopening of the Mendi Airport is having a serious economic impact on local businesses with the lack of commercial flights in.
He added, it is costly for people to travel in and out of Southern Highlands via Western Highlands.
“To date, people of Mendi and Southern Highlands are still going to Mt Hagen through the PMV’s, through hold-ups, through rain, what have you, and they are still getting the flight from Hagen to Moresby and vice versa. So, the question I put to the NAC Minister and the NAC Managing Director, and perhaps the Governor, Mr (William) Powi can take note, when is this airport going to be finished. Why are the people of Southern Highlands kept in suspense for too long?”
Governor Powi said the provincial government, following a resolution in January’s provincial assembly meeting, a letter was sent to the National Airports Corporation (NAC) and Civil Aviation Minister, Sekie Agisa, requesting an update on the Mendi Airport upgrade.
Governor Powi concurred that the impact on Mendi and the province was immense.
Meanwhile, the NAC has informed this newsroom that a detailed response on the status of the project will be provided.
Mendi Airport was closed in June 2018 after civil disobedience which led to the burning of an Air Niugini Dash 8 Aircraft.
In September that same year, a ground-breaking ceremony was launched for the Mendi Airport upgrade under the Civil Aviation Development Investment Program (CADIP) worth K27.7 million.