State Enterprises Minister, William Duma, has outlined plans to reduce flight cancellations and replace Air Niugini’s fleet of aged aircraft as the country struggles with frustrating flight delays every day.
Duma told parliament that Air Niugini has bought four used Dash 8 Q400 turboprops, which will arrive at the end of this month and in July. The purchase will be funded from Air Niugini’s internal cash flow.
This means travelers could be seeing an increase in the cost of travel.
In addition, Cabinet has authorized Air Niugini to source 11 new jets to replace the Fokker 70s and 100s. Those aircraft will begin servicing routes from 2024 to 2026. Some of the jets will be purchased outright, while the rest will be leased until the airline is able to buy them.
In 2014, the airline had planned to purchase four Boeing 737 Max aircraft, but after safety concerns led to the grounding of the model, Air Niugini canceled its order. Now, the airline plans to bring in two Boeing 787 Dreamliners in March and April 2026.
“Unfortunately, right around world, it was found that there were defects in those planes. So Air Niugini then made the decision not to buy them,” Duma saidIn the meantime, the airline is leasing two wide-bodied jets from Loftleidir Airlines in Iceland.
“The plan is to replace the entire fleet eventually. What we are doing is to build a new airline,” added.
Air Niugini currently operates a fleet of aircraft, including Fokker 100 and Fokker 70 regional jets and Bombardier Dash 8-Q400 turboprop aircraft.
, many of these planes are old and maintenance costs have been increasing.Air Niugini also plans to build an additional aircraft hanger, which will allow the airline to service its own planes in-country. The purchase of new planes is expected to reduce fuel costs by 25%, which is currently a major expense for the airline.
Daily updates