Wapenamanda Airport

PNG Air flight area being suspended indefinitely, until such time the airline can determine the safe operations of services back into the province.

Customers with existing tickets can rebook or reroute at no further cost.

Last week, Air Niugini suspended flights into Wapenamanda. 

Photos supplied to this newsroom by security forces stationed there showed that unidentified persons had spilt oil and thrown broken bottles over parts of the airport runway, making it dangerous for an aircraft to land.

Unknown individuals had spilt oil and laid broken bottles at sections of the runway. Air Niugini, in a media statement, said the vandalism took place last night.

The airline management said, “The airline (ANG) only resumed operations to Wapenamanda twelve months ago in July 2021, after the National Airports Corporation (NAC) and Government spent millions of Kina improving the airport runway and terminal infrastructure. The vandalism which occurred overnight shows a complete disregard for public property and facilities and is completely unacceptable.”

The NAC issued a statement to say the upgrade on the runway is substantially complete.

The Wapenamanda Airport upgrade is part of the Civil Aviation Development Investment Program, co-financed by the Government of Papua New Guinea and the Asian Development Bank.

Works on the runway include strengthening of the taxiway and apron pavements to accommodate Regular Public Transport (RPT) operations by ATR72-600 and Dash 8 aircraft, or similar, new staff residence and new airport safety officer’s office.