POSSIBILTY OF GROUNDING OF AIR NIUGINI BY CASA PNG AND ICAO(International Civil Aviat

[Go4eat]

Port Moresby
05th April 2024

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The following is a summary of what is happening at the PMG’s national airline;

■1) CASA PNG (Civil Aviation Safety Authority) has stood down few senior Air Niugini Executives, including the Acting CEO-Garry Seddon others including COO-Narara.

This is very serious concern that CASA PNG may revoke (cancell) Air Niugini's Airline Operating Certificate (AOC), resulting in the grounding of the airline.

■2) The Acting CEO, Mr Garry Seddon has been relieved of the position Acting CEO of Air Niugini Limited by the ANL Board, however the 6x COO positions and incumbents are illegally sitting on non existent positions which must be corrected as soon as possible by the incoming Acting CEO as requested by CASA.

ANL board is now lost as to what action to take next and have not convened another meeting all through this week and now weekend. Its very confusing.

■3) CASA representing ICAO and through IOSA had demanded Air Niugini management to fix and correct certain safety areas deemed unsafe, including the rejection of the new organisational structure with 6 Chief Operating Officers, one for each division but due to no action by board and management, have directly intervened and stood down the executives as mentioned.

■4) The sacking of some experienced executives and Senior Managers including experience pilots earlier and replaced with new ones, brought questions on whether the airline had sufficient Fit & Proper Person's (FPP) passed executives to guarantee meeting CASA PNG safety requirements.

■5) Since the standing down of the a/CEO on the 2nd of April 2024 till todate, 06th of April 2024, the airline has been left without a team-leader and CEO which is also a safety concern for CASA PNG to take action.

■6) To make matters worse, a major audit by international Civil Aviation Authority (ICAO) through IOSA(International Operational Safety Audit) is scheduled for July this year and with no management in place, with ANL Board in confusion, the airline is facing an imminent grounding by IOSA by not renewing its AOC.

■7) Even if a new CEO is appointed soon, 3 months to July is insufficient time to identify and correct so many lack or compromised areas as pointed out by CASA PNG already.

■8) The board and KCH have been busy talking about bringing 2xB787 dreamliners and 11x Airbuses costing billions while their industry based safety and operational foundations have suffered at the hands of a rookie management team now culmination with the possible shutdown of the people's airline,
unless an experience Aviation Management person is sourced, locally or internationally to fix the mess if at all possible.

■9) And should Air Niugini fail to renew its AOC audit by both CASA PNG and IOSA(International Operational Safety Audit); political interference will be the main cause of destroying a good airline, the people's airline.

While we are anticipating CASA PNG to revoke AOC and ground the airline if no action is taken swiftly by ANL Board, there is an IOSA audit scheduled for Air Niugini for July which will suspend the license.


Air Niugini may be grounded if not by CASA then it will surely be done by ICAO (International Civil Aviation Authority).

[Ottobrun]

no idea who wrote this about Air Niugini but I have no doubt the basic content is correct BUT there many totally incorrect statements there.
As any professional aviator should know, ICAO has no power to ground an airline. That. Can only be done by the national CAA. The IOSA audit is NOT done by ICAO but by IATA and could disqualify Air Niugini from IATA membership, but again, IATA cannot ground an airline.!
If the writer means that ICAO will be conducting a USOAP - CMA audit then it will be on the CAA and not on the airline directly. All findings from that audit will then go to the Minister for Aviation to take appropriate action and to prepare corrective action plans!!! l

[Icarus2001]

CASA cannot “stand down” an employee from their position.

[minigundiplomat]

Everything I have seen or heard from from Seddon screams 'politically aware clown'. Clearly, only the last bit has proved true.

[lucille]

OP’s first post.

Comic gold. And it’s 17 days after April 1, the irony of which somehow makes it even funnier.

[compressor stall]

CASA cannot “stand down” an employee from their position.
I’m not that familiar with the PNG regs but would be surprised if they don’t have a clause like Australian CASA.

“(2) CASA may, by written notice given to an Australian air transport operator (http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_reg/casr1998333/s202.900.html#australian_air_transport_operator), direct the operator (http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_reg/casr1998333/s137.010.html#operator) to remove any of the operator (http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_reg/casr1998333/s137.010.html#operator)'s key personnel (http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_reg/casr1998333/s141.020.html#key_personnel) from the person's position if satisfied that the person is not:

(a) carrying out the safety (http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_reg/casr1998333/s171.010.html#safety) responsibilities of the position under Subpart 119.D; or

(b) if the person is the chief executive officer (http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_reg/casr1998333/s11.015.html#officer)--properly managing safety (http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_reg/casr1998333/s171.010.html#safety) matters for which the person is accountable under Subpart 119.D.”

[CIC]

I would be very cautious of the posting by the "Thread Starter", too many inaccuracies; not withstanding the basic facts are true and the Board and Management has no idea on how to operate an airline.

Any airline that purchases a fleet of new aircraft (Airbus 220) in this case would have done their homework, and the report would reveal too many issues.

The ACN/PCN numbers are so far out of reality with the condition of runways in PNG; that the Airbus aircraft will be operated either illegally or almost every aerodrome they attempt domestic operations will require a permanent concession against the pavement numbers. This would be considered by a competent person, board member, senior planning team, CEO, COO etc to be a major failing.

Some of the main factors that affect Air Niugini domestics ops would include..

Poor runways, new refurbished runway, not meeting specification. Factor that don't help include weather and heavy rain undermining any sort of heavy earthwork. Other issues that affect runways refurbishment centre around corruption and bribery.
Choosing aircraft which will operate satisfactorily and meet all specifications ... again corruption and bribery interfere with the processes.
Lack of tertiary qualifications is an issue. Appointments in PX are quite often influenced by political push and shove, looking after wantoks,

The appalling conditions at Jackson's Airport in regards to hangarage space and working conditions for the engineering staff is simply not aligned with modern requirements and heavy maintenance of more than one aircraft at any one time.
.

[Mach E Avelli]

no idea who wrote this about Air Niugini but I have no doubt the basic content is correct BUT there many totally incorrect statements there.
As any professional aviator should know, ICAO has no power to ground an airline. That. Can only be done by the national CAA. The IOSA audit is NOT done by ICAO but by IATA and could disqualify Air Niugini from IATA membership, but again, IATA cannot ground an airline.!
If the writer means that ICAO will be conducting a USOAP - CMA audit then it will be on the CAA and not on the airline directly. All findings from that audit will then go to the Minister for Aviation to take appropriate action and to prepare corrective action plans!!! l
Then the risk for PNG is that if the local CASA is unwilling/unable to get the airline compliant, PNG commercial flights could be limited to domestic only. ICAO has no power to stop that, but by downgrading a country’s regulator, ICAO can effectively shut down international flying of designated airlines. It’s one of the very few weapons ICAO has against corruption and collusion between ministries, regulators and operators.

[chimbu warrior]

but by downgrading a country’s regulator, ICAO has the power to shut down international flying of designated airlines.

Not strictly correct. Another state (country) can stop an airline operating into their country, but ICAO has no such “power”.

In terms of PX management there are some very capable people there, including Granger Narara, one of the COO’s mentioned. I know nothing of the current CEO, but certainly in flight ops there are several fit and proper persons.

CASA PNG are not exactly perfect either, and so should take a good look in the mirror before casting aspersions on others. A USOAP audit (conducted by ICAO) is focussed on the regulator, not any individual operator.

As previously mentioned, IOSA are not a regulator and cannot “ground” an operator. They can issue findings as a result of an audit, and then the airline has 3 or 4 months to acquit those findings. Should that not occur, then the airline’s IOSA accreditation lapses. That is all.

Air Niugini is not perfect, but neither are many other IOSA carriers. The overall focus has always been on a safe and compliant operation, despite political interference. In a particularly challenging environment this has been accomplished for over 50 years.

[minigundiplomat]

Not strictly correct. Another state (country) can stop an airline operating into their country, but ICAO has no such “power”.

In terms of PX management there are some very capable people there, including Granger Narara, one of the COO’s mentioned. I know nothing of the current CEO, but certainly in flight ops there are several fit and proper persons.

CASA PNG are not exactly perfect either, and so should take a good look in the mirror before casting aspersions on others. A USOAP audit (conducted by ICAO) is focussed on the regulator, not any individual operator.

As previously mentioned, IOSA are not a regulator and cannot “ground” an operator. They can issue findings as a result of an audit, and then the airline has 3 or 4 months to acquit those findings. Should that not occur, then the airline’s IOSA accreditation lapses. That is all.

Air Niugini is not perfect, but neither are many other IOSA carriers. The overall focus has always been on a safe and compliant operation, despite political interference. In a particularly challenging environment this has been accomplished for over 50 years.

There are some capable people but are they listened to?

I gave the acting CEO the benefit of the doubt until he opened his mouth and reduced the doubt of whether he knew what he was talking about.

[Mach E Avelli]

Not strictly correct. Another state (country) can stop an airline operating into their country, but ICAO has no such “power”.

In terms of PX management there are some very capable people there, including Granger Narara, one of the COO’s mentioned. I know nothing of the current CEO, but certainly in flight ops there are several fit and proper persons.

CASA PNG are not exactly perfect either, and so should take a good look in the mirror before casting aspersions on others. A USOAP audit (conducted by ICAO) is focussed on the regulator, not any individual operator.

As previously mentioned, IOSA are not a regulator and cannot “ground” an operator. They can issue findings as a result of an audit, and then the airline has 3 or 4 months to acquit those findings. Should that not occur, then the airline’s IOSA accreditation lapses. That is all.

Air Niugini is not perfect, but neither are many other IOSA carriers. The overall focus has always been on a safe and compliant operation, despite political interference. In a particularly challenging environment this has been accomplished for over 50 years.
Point taken and post reworded slightly to indicate that the EFFECT of an ICAO audit indicating the regulator has lost control can shut down international flights. Example - Sierra Leone, total worldwide ban (not sure if still the case, but certainly was). Indonesia - banned (for a while) in many European countries…etc. Adjoining countries can stop overflights and others can deny landing rights.
The decline of aviation standards in PNG is a great shame. There was a time when it had quite an astounding safety record, despite the operating conditions being some of the most demanding anywhere. The impression I got during re-visiting the place about 10 years ago was that airfields, nav aids and maintenance facilities had gone badly downhill since the golden days of the sixties and seventies. It was only the dedication of pilots and engineers that was keeping the joint at least partially functional. The regulator wasn’t doing any meaningful oversight, so the cowboys had come out to play.
It seems it hasn’t got better in the last 10 years.