Civil Aviation Minister, Alfred Manase, says looking into minimizing the cost of airline travel is one of the main agendas under his portfolio.
Speaking during the launching of the “National Airline Corporations Sustainable Growth Strategy” Manase said he wants to ensure that air travel is affordable for all Papua New Guineans.
He said he will undertake discussions with all stakeholders within the industry and believes that affordable flying can be achieved.
Meantime the corporate plan launching was held in a Town Hall meeting fashion with NAC staff witnessing the event.
It was also an unofficial hand-over, take-over for the former Civil Aviation Minister, and now Minister for Justice and Attorney General, Davies Steven, in attendance along with industry executives and stakeholders.
Steven said he was happy with the achievements the NAC Board had accomplished, one of which is the finalizing of the 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015, Annual Reports which he said was a basic requirement which had not been adhered too.
However, the main vision which he wants achieved is to connect many rural areas by airports and the ground work for this has been done.
“Our challenge remains to fly the un-flown, (and) to connect the disconnected,” said Steven.
Under the corporate plan the NAC aims to establish 15 Smart Airports in PNG.