Air Niugini (ANG)

The National Airports Corporation Ltd (NAC) welcomed Air Niugini flights resuming operations as of yesterday. NAC congratulated Air Niugini on the successful transition, marking a significant collaboration with airline operators like PNG Air to enhance passenger services.

Passengers, including Air Niugini passengers, will be processed at the new Nadzab Tomodachi International Terminal. The old terminal will continue to handle cargo processing exclusively for Air Niugini and PNG Air.

Airport authority, National Airports Corporation (NAC) is currently working on a plan to fix damage caused to the runway.

Similarly, all Fokker and Boeing 737 flights to Mount Hagen have been downgraded to Dash 8 aircraft due to maintenance works on the Kagamuga airport runway.

The airport runway is shortened to allow for maintenance and repair works.  

The airline will advise when jet operations into both Madang and Mt Hagen are resuming.

State Enterprises Minister, William Duma and Air Niugini’s Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Gary Seddon announced that after an exhaustive and detailed program, Air Niugini has chosen the Airbus A220-100 and A220-300 aircraft to replace the Fokker F70 and F100 regional jets.

Minister Duma refers to the new aircraft as the ‘People’s Balus’ and indicated that Air Niugini expects the arrival to commence in late 2024.

As a result major adjustments have been made to flight schedules, leading to disruptions for our passengers traveling both domestically and internationally.

Acting Chief Executive Officer, Gary Seddon in a media statement said a team of highly skilled engineers and technicians are working tirelessly to rectify the issues and restore these aircraft to full operational capacity as soon as possible. 

About 50 plus Travel and ticketing agents from other areas of PNG like Kieta, Madang, Lae and Goroka attended the event including agents in Port Moresby. Through the event, agents were able to discuss and ask questions about the airline products and anything relating to Air Niugini.

Acting Chief Executive Officer, Gary Seddon acknowledged agents for attending and gave an update on the progress since he joined Air Niugini two months ago.

He also highlighted several activities including re-fleeting, opportunities to improve customer service and airfares.

The Purchasing and Supply Department has 35 staff who are responsible for ensuring the efficiency of Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering Services.

Ms Pumwa's team provides support services for Aircraft Maintenance, liaising with local and overseas suppliers to procure and deliver Aircraft Spare Parts, Rotable Components, and Consumables, as well as managing the Warehousing Storage of Inventory. They also provide procurement services to other departments within Air Niugini.

The program covered units such as Responsible Leadership, People, Leadership and Performance, and Managing Organizational Change.

The staff acknowledge Air Niugini for its commitment to continuous staff development. Additionally, six other female staff recently graduated from Divine Word University in Madang with Bachelor's Degrees in Management.

Air Niugini's Acting CEO, Gary Seddon, congratulated all the graduates and highlighted the importance of continuous learning and personal development for employees.

Acting Chief Executive Officer, Gary Seddon said they are also taking all necessary measures to maintain safety standards.

“This includes the possibility of delaying or cancelling a flight due to factors such as bad weather, security issues, technical problems, or operational requirements. Our dedication to safety is unwavering, and we will not compromise it for any reason,” he said.

According to Seddon, the delay causes inconvenience however safety will always be given priority over other interests.

The organizations’ executives held a meeting on Monday March 27. Ideas, challenges and opportunities were shared between the two companies to encourage a more collaborative approach toward tourism development.

Air Niugini’ s Acting Chief Executive Officer, Gary Seddon, recognized the efforts across the industry, to restart tourism after years of uncertainty and restrictions.

This was made possible at an officials’ letter exchange between PNG’s Kumul Consolidated Holdings and Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Minister for State Enterprises, William Duma, joined Australian High Commissioner, Jon Philp, in Canberra on 16 February to witness Kumul Consolidated Holdings Managing Director, Professor David Kavanamur, and HC Philp exchange counterpart letters securing Australian technical support for Air Niugini’s fleet replacement program to explore and progress financing options.