Port Moresby (Jackson's Field) closed to all Ops

[Kagamuga]

Someone let the lunatics out yesterday !

CASA director with no authority has had the NAC (National Airports Commission) manager arrested. Apparently 18 heavily armed police in full battle gear stormed the terminal yesterday and arrested the NAC person. NAC person was driven to CASA HQ for questioning with 17 police car escort.

Five NOTAM's raised today informing aviation holders that Port Moresby airport is closed to Domestic Ops. The terminal(s) have been breached and are no longer considered a sterile area..

There is a power struggle taking place between the CASA boss whom has a hatred of PX and the NAC man whom is embroiled in disputes over Audits and approvals for various NAC airports throughout the country.

All this comes at a time when PX is trying to finalise wide body fleet replacements. The current B767 leases terminate in Feb 2023. The narrow body fleet carries more defects and MEL's than letters in the alphabet.

This is not going to end well for either of the two major players.

National embarrassment to Papua New Guinea on a global aviation front

[Kagamuga]

Mt. Hagen airport has had the power cut to effectively close the tower and airport.

For some odd reason the telephone lines to POM tower are "disrupted"

[Kiwiconehead]

Originally Posted by Kagamuga

Someone let the lunatics out yesterday !
There is a power struggle taking place between the CASA boss whom has a hatred of PX

This is the current CASA boss who is ex PX?

[Mumbai Merlin]

Yes Kiwi! same same ....

[Duck Pilot]

Similar crap to what happened a few months ago with Kiunga and Nadzab.

Are they Part 139 compliance issues that is the stick point, or just typical argie bargie crap coming out of CASA?

[Squawk7700]

Originally Posted by Kagamuga

Mt. Hagen airport has had the power cut to effectively close the tower and airport.

The power has been on there the whole time and I can prove it :-)

[Pinky the pilot]

Only in the Land of the unexpected!

[krismiler]

It wasn't uncommon to have airports closed in PNG due to civil unrest, particularly in the highlands. The flat, open space was an ideal battle ground for clans to sort out disputes with spears and bows and arrows. The disagreement was usually over something serious, such as someone's pig eating the vegetables in someone else's garden.

Compensation and payback never ends.

[grizzled]

The current Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation is, to say the least, not a fan of the current NAC Managing Director, and would love to see him gone. But, as many of you know, in PNG it’s not a simple matter for a Minister to get rid of a senior executive. The complex mesh of loyalties, debts, and favours owed -- and of course the obligations of Wantok – all combine to mean that any news stories involving politics or senior executives in PNG have many convoluted layers to them. And those same ingredients have produced a system that is as dysfunctional as it is corrupt, which is horribly sad for the average citizen of PNG. And not likely to change soon.

[Pinky the pilot]

It wasn't uncommon to have airports closed in PNG due to civil unrest, particularly in the highlands.

Or the locals all trying to get onto an aircraft after a 'Coffin charter,' especially at Fane!

I HATED having to do them to that (expletive deleted) place!!

[grizzled]

Yesterday the Minister of Civil Aviation removed the NAC Managing Director (via Gazette). Replaced by Joseph Tupiri.