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

He means 767 perhaps?

I think he meant 767...

ooh beat me by a whisker FA18...

You might find that 787 is not incorrect - at the planning stage, anyway.

Yeah Right!
 

" Entry to the land of the Unexpected''-You better believe it!!

Come on guys look at the picture...... they are obtaining ex Oasis / Singapore Airlines Boeing 747-412 aircraft......... x 2

That will look pretty flast with their colour scheme

PX747
 

What picture is it. 1st I've heard of 747's joining the fleet. Suppose it will operate POM/LAE. Makes about as much sense as the rest of this tripe.

Think the statement was meant to be 767 with passing mention of the fanciful 787s somewhere down the track.

1st flagship 767 replacing the previous 1st flagship 767 which departed last August. New record for delay....9 months!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gotta say, I always have a chuckle when taxiing past the PX lease a/c in Honkers.................." FLY WHITE " :}

Geez, oil going thru the roof and these plonkers lease 747's !
Any money they have managed to make over the last couple of years (if any) will be blown in the first 6 months of flying these things :mad:
But hey its standard for Pixi :ok:

Sorry guys, you got it wrong- it was 748's (HS748s):E

Hmmm. Pixie appears to have trouble paying the leases on current aeroplanes.

How on earth are the going to pick up the bill on a 787???

It is not like there is a huge growth potential in their market, and Aussies would put themselves at significant risk just visiting a country that sucks multi million dollar lumps of cash out us just by walking down the street.

Dangerous place, and the millions could best go to Aussie hospital systems.

Best all

EWL

Laugh,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I nearly shat!
The day png get 747;s is the day i get a full head O' hair

Maybe they will cross-hire one of Jetstars!! :} (If they ever get them!)

Next they will be placing an order for a couple of A380s!! :rolleyes:

Suspected this thread was tok gamin but found the article here.

Amazing.

Air Niugini and PNG
 

I get pretty tired of all the knocking that goes on in these threads. At the risk of being criticised I would like to make some points which I feel very strongly about.
As far as Air Niugini is concerned they may have some shortcomings but from what I have seen compared to MOST operators in Australia they treat their pilots very well as far as remuneration and conditions are concerned.
Also as far as PNG in general the majority of the people are a beautiful race only marred by the few rascals who seem to get all the publicity. Stop and think what Australia would be like without a welfare system. All the noise made about the down side of the country - sit up and look at the crime that happens in your backyard on a daily basis.
All that is needed is a bit of common sense when visiting PNG, having travelled up there in January with a party of 14 family members we did not feel threatened at all and hopefully we will be going back many times in the future to visit our wonderful new friends and family. Over to the knockers.
:=::=

For crying out loud people! :zzz:
DingoMuddy is correct, 1st flagship 767 replacing the previous 767 on lease from NZ.
It was either a typo in the article, or the reporter heard wrong. And if you read it carefully, it suggests PX has recently taken delivery of its first flagship 747. Clearly they haven't. They mean the recently delivered 767 P2-ANA ex. TF-LLA.
Simple as that.

As far as the 787 goes...PX are serious about getting them.


EDIT: added the bold

INTERESTED BYSTANDER.

Love your post! :ok:

"...having travelled up there in January with a party of 14 family members..."

Always appreciate opinions from instant experts on PNG affairs! :ok:

"I get pretty tired of all the knocking that goes on in these threads."

That probably demonstrates how little you really know about PNG and the people of all races that live there!

I only lived in PNG for twenty three years. I was there when the first Air Niugini flight departed Port Moresby in November 1973 and in September 1975 when the National Flag was raised for the first time.

And in case you may think I am racist, my eldest daughter who I love dearly, is adopted. Her biological mother is Papuan from Hanuabada and father from Wewak. Many that post here would remember my daughter as a child at the Talair Mess in Goroka many years ago. She has a sun tan you would not believe but she is my daughter, my family! :}

And my other three biological white kids were also born in PNG, my eldest in Port Moresby (now a pilot with Qantas), next two in Goroka. The Torres family comes in all colours!! :ok:

This forum if full of guys and their families who have given much, if not most of their working life to the development of PNG and PNG aviation. Sharpie; Hanoi; Tinpis; Chimbu Warrior; Chimbu Chuckles; Pinky; Animal Club; Troppo; PNGAir; sixtiesrelic; mauswara; bulolobob; 2 Dogs; Taildragger; Waghi Warrior; DingoMuddy; OzExpat; TAU MATAMATA (can you translate that to English?); Maxii; yerex; Cried Havoc; and many more, not to mention many mates who gave their life before their time to the development of aviation in PNG over the past 87 years.

What ever each of our personal motivation in going to that country, undeniable we all contributed to what PNG is today.

I congratulate you on becoming part of a PNG Highlands family by marriage, but many here are part of a far wider family of PNG aviation, who collectively have hundreds of years PNG experience and collectively hundreds of thousands of hours of PNG flying. We are not racist - indeed, we probably understand PNG, it's people, culture and languages slightly better than you ever will! :=

We live in the real World - we are not idealists! I'm sure we all wish Air Niugini every success but history indicates they will continue to make the same mistakes they have for over thirty years.

"Over to the knockers."

Nope. Not interesting in "knocking" you! I am interested in and respect your opinion, but I don't think you have the right to chastise those of us who have given most of our lives to the development of, and service to Papua New Guinea.

Torres

P.S. I also spent eighteen years in Tasmania - had my first flying lessons at the Aero Club at Cambridge in a DHC1 Chippie!! And one of PNG's finest pilots (TAL, Mandated, Ansett and Pixie) started his 35,000 hour flying career as a Timpanist with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra! :ok:

I remember when ANA was a fokker! :}

Torres what a great post!

Another of our longer term posters has recently made his way up there as well .. hoping that all is going well for him and his family .. onya Disco .. !!

Well said, Torres :ok: Never been to PNG, but would love to. Now added to my "to do" list.

Le Vieux