From today's Pos Guria.....
Airline confirms Falcon jet buy
By GORETHY KENNETH
AIR NIUGINI yesterday confirmed they were buying a Falcon jet to lease to the Government but denied the purchase was worth K128 million.
The Air Niugini executives could not detail further but advised the Government would have the opportunity like other charters or resource
companies to make use of the plane.
They said the plane was not coming from Canada or Singapore but reliable sources from the Civil Aviation Authority said that the purchase was
being made in the United States.
CAA officials also told the Post-Courier yesterday that the four strips this jet would access would be Jackson’s Airport in Port Moresby,
Nadzab in Lae, Vanimo in West Sepik Province and Tokua in East New Britain.
“The amount is wrong (“not way out’’) but not right on target," the Air Niugini executives said. “It is a private commercial arrangement, why
are we being so interfered with.”
Meanwhile, the Government decision to acquire a Falcon ultra long range executive jet for its exclusive executive use has come under scathing
attack from the Opposition, who described the purchase as a complete waste of public funds, particularly when the majority grassroots people
are literally living by the day to make ends meet.
Leader of Opposition and PNG Party’s Sir Mekere Morauta described the decision to purchase the jet as “self-serving and sickening” when many
people PNG-wide struggled daily to pay for rising cost of living, including money for school fees and medical expenses.Sir Mekere strongly
urged the Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare to seriously consider reversing the decision in view of the fact that people all over the country
were continuing to face acute transport problems due to deteriorating roads, bridges and other infrastructure. “I could not believe my eyes
when I picked up the newspaper this morning. It is simply not justified. It merely demonstrates total arrogance of the current leadership.
Claims of the Prime Minister having problems with his legs on Air Niugini’s pressurised cabins are a lame excuse. It is only a camouflage.
“This is the very leader who vehemently opposed the purchase of the K5 million Grumman 2 VIP jet in 1980 when Sir Julius Chan was prime
minister. This issue was even taken to the 1982 general elections by Sir Michael who was the then Pangu Pati leader.
“Why the sudden turn-around 39 years later by the same leader in 2009. Has he forgotten his stance? Do we need an executive jet for a
minority group who are already well looked after by the taxpayers. Why should the taxpayers be burdened again by yet another
National-Alliance-led government blunder.