Looks like to Post Courier got a couple of facts wrong.
APNG first started a schedule service to Cairns from Tabubil, Kiunga, Daru and Alotau (with Dash 8's) around 1998, as well as to Cairns and Townsville (with Dash 8's) from Pt Moresby; and Merauke, West Irian (with B1900's) from Pt Moresby and Daru.
We had verbal approval from Customs to operate out of these strips but a couple of days before the first flight out of Alotau Customs reneged on their approval... that was until we advised Tim Neville (local member at that time) of the problem. Problem solved.