Pilots

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.

That appeal will go for hearing on June 27 at 9:30am at Waigani.

 Captains Joseph Kumasi, Boris Ageda, Vincent Tongia, Benjamin Lopa, Norman Daniel, and first officers Elijah Yuangi, David Seken and Abel Kanego are challenging their termination from Air Niugini last September.

The Supreme Court on March 23 granted interim relief to the pilots, which stayed their termination as well as eviction from Air Niugini’s accommodation.

Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia allowed or granted leave for their appeal to be heard by the full court.

Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia this afternoon ruled he was not persuaded that Air Niugini had an arguable case made out.

Air Niugini filed the appeal on grounds the Judicial review in the National Court is an abuse of process because Air Niugini is subject to Company Act and its decisions cannot be reviewed through a judicial review proceeding. 

The Chief Justice said the National Court judge did not make an error when he granted leave for a judicial review to be carried out against their termination.

Chief Justice Sir Salamo Injia sitting as a single Supreme Court judge today heard submissions from lawyers representing Air Niugini, Ian Shepherd and the eight national pilots, Moses Murray. He reserved his ruling to Dec 9.

Sir Salamo in reserving his decision said he needs to go through the National Airline Commission Act to see the status of Air Niugini.

Air Niugini is seeking leave of the Supreme Court to appeal the National Court decision dated Oct 7 which allowed a judicial review to be conducted by the court on the termination of the pilots.

Murray successfully obtained a stay order against the termination of eight national pilots after they filed an application seeking leave of court for a judicial review on their termination. Leave was granted on Friday.

Speaking to Loop PNG from Wewak today, he said the orders were served on the Air Niugini Management on Tuesday however could not confirm if his clients had been put back on the roster for work.

He was however informed by his clients that the pilot who was evicted from Air Niugini’s accommodation was called in by the management.