Airlines Services

Taking off from Gurney, Alotau, the flight took 1 hour and ten minutes and touched down smoothly at Nadzab airport in Lae.

The aircraft spent an hour on the runway while being refuelled before taking to the skies again for Madang.

This is the second time the P2-ATR has visited Lae with the P2-ATR making its inaugural flight into the Morobe Province yesterday.

The P2-ATR will be flying 5 flights to Lae a week. This will increase as the months progress after the arrival of Air PNG's second aircraft in the ATR fleet.

With the first aircraft undergoing its maiden voyage throughout the country in the coming days, plans are underway to bring in 12 more.

The ATR aircraft seats up to 74 passengers and will replace the Havilland Canada DHC-8-100 Dash 8 fleet for Airlines PNG, now trading as PNG Air.

The second plane will arrive next month. Three more arrive in 2016 in March, June and November. These will include business class seating.

PNG Air chief executive officer Muralee Siva said their long term plan is to become a full ATR operator by 2020.