Air Niugini to get 747s
Nonstop Australian demand = nonstop Sydney-PNG services
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Air NIugini Team - Trish, Amy, Helen, Rose
CHarles Morley
Air Niugini staff and associates celebrated the launch of a direct service between Sydney and Port Moresby on Monday night at the Australian Museum, in a bid to enhance the strong relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea.
Cast against the stunning 1920s images captured by Frank Hurley in Papua New Guinea, cocktails and canapés were enjoyed by a wide range of travel industry professionals.
The potent images were reminiscent of a culture steeped in historic traditions, one which, several natives of Papua New Guinea that were present claimed, is still very much prevalent in the nation today.
The evening reflected the significance of the Air Niugini staff to its recent expansion, as Charles Morley, Australian Manager explained that for the airline, its “strength is in its people.”
Australians enjoy domination over the market share of Papua New Guinea tourist arrivals, as Air Niugini chief executive officer Wasantha Kumarasiri said in a statement.
“These additional flights will enhance tourism opportunities and provide more travel options to potential tourists”, he added.
The new service will enable passengers to fly directly from Port Moresby to Sydney, on a twice weekly schedule.
The flights are located to allow optimum weekend travel, operating on Fridays and Sundays from Port Moresby, and Saturdays and Mondays from Sydney.
Charles Morley, Australian Manager
Colin Lyttle, GM Marketing Air Niugini
Colin Lyttle,General Marketing Manager for Air Niugini
Describing the offerings of Papua New Guinea as a “truly unique product”, Shannon Hannaford from the PNG Tourism Promotion Authority commented that the improved services would allow better “entry into the world of the unexpected.”
Continuing expansion is on the agenda for Air Niugini, as Kumarasiri also commented that depending on the demand for the new services, the airline will seek to increase frequencies of the service.
Australian demand will also be supplemented by the introduction of a Brisbane – Port Moresby direct service, to operate on Saturdays and Mondays.
The aircraft that Air Niugini are utilising to service the new routes is the Embraer 190, leased from Australian company Sky Air World.
The 94 seater jet features 10 business class seats, and according to Kumarasiri, “It is an ideal aircraft with lower operating costs and impressive mission performance.”
It is an exciting time for Air Niugini, as General Manager Marketing Colin Lyttle, pointed out, noting that the arrival of the first flagship 747 and the future order of a 787 reflected the commitment from the government to the infrastructure of the airline.
Grahame from Tantalus, Dale and Michael Corbett, PNG Tourism