MAF

Two years ago, NCC trekked the rugged terrains to Nete Lyaim and helped to establish a cultural center there, encouraged the people to stop tribal fights and take ownership of their culture.

In doing so, realized that basic government services like health and education were unnoticeable as there was no road accessibility.

This event marks the official opening of the airstrip in the presence of Enga Governor Peter Ipatas, NCC Executive Director Steven Kilanda and their delegates, and the Nete Lyaim community.

Travelers from the most remote parts of Papua New Guinea are unable to access flights because of recently introduced measures to control the spread pf COVID-19 in PNG.

Local aviation service provider, Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) said the current orders from the National Control Center (NCC) require any passenger boarding an aircraft for a domestic flight to have a negative test report for COVID-19, and they recognize the difficulty in obtaining a COVID test for travel in most places.

In its recent update, the MAF team said they have committed to re-surveying every airstrip to which they operate, and then completing an evaluation (Risk Assessment) of that survey data.

“These risk assessments will result in our making a decision as to whether or not we can provide service to a particular airstrip,” said MAF.

“The communities will be given an update on what actions need to be taken should their airstrip not meet the MAF International Standards. 

Twenty years without desperately needed antivenom is just one supply shortage these healthcare workers face.

As if this was not enough, they now face the challenge of providing health care in a pandemic without proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). One nurse summed up the staff’s sorrow over their inability to give personal, hands-on treatment during the pandemic: “Within this period of time, we are not friends with our patients because we are fearing to treat patients without PPE.” 

That is, until now…

Before its departure, the MAF Mareeba team came together outside their hangar, praying for its journey to Mt Hagen, captained by MAF PNG’s Flight Operations Manager Brad Venter as well as its destined purpose to serve the people of remote Papua New Guinea.

P2-MEW is the 5^th of the six brand new Cessna Caravans C208 MAF PNG is receiving this year as part of their fleet transition to the single type C208 fleet.

Noting the high costs of remote area aviation services, BNL has provided funding to allow for up to a year of significant price reductions for travel to and from the rural airstrips on MAF aircraft within Enga Province. Two months into the year-long subsidy scheme, there has been enthusiastic uptake by the remote communities.

This newsroom received unconfirmed reports that an estimated 13 people were killed at Huiya village while some have been unaccounted for.

Project Officer of the North Fly District, Larry Franklin, who is involved in the disaster relief operation, told this newsroom neighbouring villagers fled into Huiya and Dodomona since disaster struck.

He said there are about 1,200 people currently at Dodomona village.

Food and water was running out until today when the MAF delivered much-needed relief supplies to Huiya.

The working group involves members of the national and provincial disaster office, Papua New Guinea Defence Force, Australian Defence Force, Ipili Pogera Investment (IPI), PNG Red Cross, MAF and other non-government organisations.

Chaired by Papua New Guinea Defence Force Joint Task Force Commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Immanuel Todick, a workable solution had been reached in which IPI transport in Mt Hagen has offered their transport yard to be use as a storage facility.

On Wednesday, 28 February, MAF performed a joint-effort medevac for a woman outside Huya Airstrip in a village called Fau.

MAF received the report and Sharlene Coker, who is not only MAF PNG’s operations assistant but is also trained as MAF international global disaster response administrator and operations specialist, worked with Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) to get coordinates for this village in the hope that one of their translators was familiar with this particular village.

With a ‘One Training Centre - Two Campuses’ approach, the two training campuses are Mount Hagen, Western Highlands and Mareeba, Queensland, Australia.

MAF is planning two intakes each year, with the opportunity for up to four PNG students to begin training at each intake.

Within two years, the MAF Training Centre (TC) aims to produce professional and competent pilots with relevant licenses, ratings and approximately 240 hours flying experience.