Air Niugini News

[7mile]

The National Nation | The National Newspaper

CIVIL Aviation Authority (CAA) chief executive officer Joseph Kintau says a controversial Russian-built helicopter, Mil 8, can be certified to operate in PNG on cargo-carrying runs only.
In the meantime, a helicopter company, Pacific Helicopters, is seriously considering suing the CAA and the Government for “millions of kina” for lost revenue because of safety issues surrounding the Mil8, its owner and Eastern Highlands Governor Malcolm Kela-Smith told The National yesterday.
Mr Kintau has admitted that the Mil8 and another Russian-built chopper, KA-32, have been operating in PNG since about 1986, without certification.
CAA safety regulators have grounded the KA-32 for the last three years and ordered the Mil8 to stop operations until they met PNG safety standards.
However, Mr Kintau intervened and allowed the Mil-8 to operate only on cargo runs.
He also admitted to refusing to renew the contract of a CAA regulator who was in charge of airworthiness and was the prime figure overseeing certification programmes of aircraft in PNG, including the Mil-8 and the KA-32.
However, aviation sources said the Australian expert had an impeccable track record as an aircraft engineer who licensed Boeing 707s and 747s and Airbus, and was highly recommended by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority of Australia (CASA) as one of the best airworthiness inspectors
The National asked Mr Kintau yesterday to explain the certification process of Mil-8 but he did not answer the question.
“I will not be dragged into a media tussle of justifying my actions in relations to the Mil8 and also the non-renewal of an employment contract of the expatriate ‘CAA expert’,” Mr Kintau said in a three-page statement.
“As director, I have made a decision on the balance of expert advice, the policies and plans guiding the operations of CAA, and I am satisfied that the decisions I make are sound and to the best interest of CAA and PNG,” he said.
He said noted a report by Australian consultant Kirrill Bolonkin (of Russian origin) that the PNG CAA had grounds to certify the Mil-8 to operate only on cargo runs (no passengers) and that the “type acceptance certification may be issues for the Mil-8 AMT and Mil8 MTV.
The two models Mil-8 AMT and Mil-8 MTV are suitable for certification in the restricted category”.
Mr Kintau accused his former expert on airworthiness of being “selective” in his advice to his office “despite the technical advice from the Mil-8 expert.”
“There is nothing stopping CAA from certifying the aircraft under restricted (no passenger) category,” Mr Kintau said.
That being the case, The National asked Mr Kintau as to why they had not yet been certified but he did not respond.
Mr Kintau claimed that key industry players and he believed that the Australian, whose contract had expired, did not have the “right attitude nor the competence” to be part of the new Civil Aviation Safety Authority, therefore, his contract of employment was not renewed.
Sources laughed off Mr Kintau’s assertions.
In the meantime, Pacific Helicopter has lost out on lucrative contracts because of the controversy surrounding the Mil-8.
The National yesterday sought Mr Kela-Smith’s comments over the saga and he said he had to sell off his Mil-8 at a much reduced price back to the Russians because CAA could not get its act together to certify the choppers.
He said he respected the decision of the CAA regulators that the aircraft did not meet PNG’s certification standard so he sold it off to the Russians.

Kintau reckons he based his decisions on 'expert advice', ignoring expert advice would seem more accurate.