PNG Air, formerly Airlines PNG, is an airline based on the grounds of

Jacksons International Airport Port Moresby International Airport , also known as Jacksons International Airport, is an international airport located outside Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea. It is the largest and busiest airport in Papua New Guinea, with an estimated 1.4 ...

Port Moresby (; Tok Pisin: ''Pot Mosbi''), also referred to as Pom City or simply Moresby, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea. It is one of the largest cities in the southwestern Pacific (along with Jayapura) outside of Australia and New ...

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and offshore islands in Melanesia, a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean n ...

. It operates scheduled domestic and international flights, as well as contract corporate charter work. Its main base is Jacksons International Airport.

Flight International ''Flight International'', formerly ''Flight'', is a monthly magazine focused on aerospace. Published in the United Kingdom and founded in 1909 as "A Journal devoted to the Interests, Practice, and Progress of Aerial Locomotion and Transport", i ...

27 March 2007

History

The airline was originally established and started operations on 30 June 1987 as Milne Bay Air. It operated as a charter company in the resource development industry. The airline obtained an RPT (scheduled passenger services) licence in September 1992 and received its airline licence in March 1997. With its headquarters and main operating base set in Port Moresby, there are also support staff in Cairns, Australia. PNG Air has 750 staff. In 2008 the airline was listed on the Port Moresby Stock Exchange. In November 2015, the airline rebranded and unveiled a new livery. It also received its first

ATR 72-600 The ATR 72 is a twin-engine turboprop, short-haul regional airliner developed and produced in France and Italy by aircraft manufacturer ATR. The number "72" in its name is derived from the aircraft's typical standard seating capacity of 72 pass ...

aircraft, to become the backbone of the fleet by 2020.

Destinations

PNG Air operates scheduled passenger flights to the following destinations: ; ;Papua New Guinea *

Alotau Alotau is the capital of Milne Bay Province, in the far south-east of Papua New Guinea, on the tip of the Papuan Peninsula. It is located on the northern shore of Milne Bay and the township is conveniently situated within the Alotau Urban LLG. Bei ...

–

Gurney Airport Gurney Airport is an airport serving Alotau in the Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea (PNG). The airport is a single runway general aviation facility. In December 2008, the PNG Minister for Transport and Civil Aviation, Don Polye announced ...

* Buka –

Buka Airport Buka Airport is an airport serving Buka Island in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea. It is located at the southern end of the island, near Buka Passage behind the town of Buka, and pre-war Chinatown. The airport termi ...

Daru Daru is the capital of the Western Province of Papua New Guinea and a former Catholic bishopric. Daru town falls under the jurisdiction of Daru Urban LLG. The township is entirely located on an island that goes by the same name, which is lo ...

–

Daru Airport Daru Airport is an airport serving Daru, the capital of the Western Province in Papua New Guinea. The airfield was constructed before or during World War II. During the war it was used as a refuelling stop by Allied fighter aircraft. The Austra ...

Goroka Goroka is the capital of the Eastern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea. It is a town of approximately 19,000 people (2000), above sea level. It has an airport (in the centre of town) and is on the " Highlands Highway", about from Lae in Mor ...

–

Goroka Airport Goroka Airport is an airport in Goroka, Papua New Guinea. Domestic terminal The Terminal operates two flights daily to Port Moresby. The departure lounge contains a snack shop and an Avis car hire center. An Air Niugini Air Niugini Limi ...

Hoskins Hoskins is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Allen Hoskins (1920–1980), American child actor who played Farina in the Our Gang series * Andrew Hoskins (born 1975), Canadian rower * Anthony Hoskins (1828–1901), Royal Navy a ...

–

Hoskins Airport Hoskins Airport (IATA: HKN, ICAO: AYHK) is an airport in Hoskins (on the island of New Britain) in Papua New Guinea. The airport serves Kimbe Kimbe is the capital of the province of West New Britain in Papua New Guinea, and the largest settlem ...

* Kiunga –

Kiunga Airport Kiunga Airport is an airport in Kiunga, Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and offshore isl ...

* Aropa –

Kieta Airport Aropa Airport (or Kieta Airport) is an airport in Kieta, Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea. History The original grass airfield was occupied and expanded by the Imperial Japanese in spring 1942. It then became the target of Allied air bombin ...

Kavieng Kavieng is the capital of the Papua New Guinean province of New Ireland and the largest town on the island of the same name. The town is located at Balgai Bay, on the northern tip of the island. As of 2009, it had a population of 17,248. Kavi ...

–

Kavieng Airport Kavieng Airport is located in Kavieng, New Ireland, Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and ...

Lae Lae (, , later ) is the capital of Morobe Province and is the second-largest city in Papua New Guinea. It is located near the delta of the Markham River on the northern coast of Huon Gulf. It is at the start of the Highlands Highway, which is ...

–

Lae Airport Lae Airport is a public use airport at Lae on Lae Atoll, Marshall Islands The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands, is an island country west of the International Date Line and north of the equator in the Micron ...

Lihir Island Lihir Island (a.k.a. Niolam Island) is the largest island in the Lihir Group, Lihir group of islands, long and wide, in Papua New Guinea's New Ireland Province. It consists of a complex of several overlapping basaltic stratovolcanoes rising 700 ...

– Lihir Island Airport *

Losuia Losuia is a village on Kiriwina Island, part of the Kiriwina Islands, Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania that comprises the eastern hal ...

–

Losuia Airport Losuia Airport is an airport in Losuia, on the island of Kiriwina, Papua New Guinea. History Kiriwina Airfield was a coral surfaced long x wide single runway, built by US Army Engineers with assistance from combat troops shortly after occupyi ...

Madang Madang (old German name: ''Friedrich-Wilhelmshafen'') is the capital of Madang Province and is a town with a population of 27,420 (in 2005) on the north coast of Papua New Guinea. History Nicholai Miklukho-Maklai was probably the first Eur ...

–

Madang Airport Madang Airport , is an airport located in Madang, Papua New Guinea. Airlines and destinations History World War II During World War II, occupied by the Imperial Japanese Army in January 1943, as a forward operating airfield for aircraft bas ...

Misima Misima (formerly called St. Aignan) is a volcanic island in the northwest of Louisiade Archipelago within Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea. History Misima Island was inhabited by Austronesians since about 1500 BC. The island was sig ...

–

Misima Airport Misima Airport is an airport serving the Misima Island, in the Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half o ...

* Moro – Moro Airport *

Mount Hagen Mount Hagen () is the third largest city in Papua New Guinea, with a population of 46,250. It is the capital of the Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea, Western Highlands Province and is located in the large fertile Wahgi Valley in central mainlan ...

–

Mount Hagen Airport Kagamuga International Airport is the second biggest airport in Papua New Guinea, Papua New Guinea (PNG) and is located in the Waghi Valley, 13 km north-east of Mount Hagen, the capital of Western Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea. The ...

Popondetta Popondetta (sometimes spelled Popondota) is the capital of Oro (Northern) Province in Papua New Guinea. In 1951 the city became the focus of relief efforts after nearby Mount Lamington erupted and killed 4,000 people. Popondetta is near to ...

–

Girua Airport Girua Airport is an airport serving Popondetta, a city in the Oro (or Northern) province in Papua New Guinea. History Girua Airport is located near Dobodura, to the north-east of the Embi Lakes, north-east of Inonda. To the south is Mt. Laming ...

– Port Moresby International Airport hub *

Rabaul Rabaul () is a township in the East New Britain province of Papua New Guinea, on the island of New Britain. It lies about to the east of the island of New Guinea. Rabaul was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province ...

Kokopo Kokopo is the capital of East New Britain Province in Papua New Guinea. It is administered under Kokopo/Vunamami Urban LLG. The capital was moved from Rabaul in 1994 when the volcanoes Tavurvur and Vulcan erupted. As a result, the population o ...

–

Rabaul Airport Rabaul Airport, also called Tokua Airport, is an airport serving Kokopo and Rabaul, the current and former capitals of East New Britain Province on New Britain island in Papua New Guinea. Before the 1994 volcanic eruption destroyed the town of ...

Tabubil Tabubil is a town located in the Star Mountains area of the North Fly District of Western Province, Papua New Guinea. The town, including the adjoining relocated village of Wangabin and the industrial area of Laydown (where industrial equipment was ...

–

Tabubil Airport Tabubil Airport is an international airport in Tabubil, Papua New Guinea, Tabubil, Papua New Guinea. Asia Pacific Airlines (PNG), Asia Pacific Airlines operates out of Tabubil as its Airline hub, hub. History In the late 1970s, Tabubil was a ...

* Tari –

Tari Airport Tari Airport is an airport in Tari, Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and offshore islands ...

Vanimo Vanimo is the capital of Sandaun Province (West Sepik) in north-westernmost Papua New Guinea and of Vanimo-Green River District. It is located on a peninsula close to the Indonesia–Papua New Guinea border, border with Indonesia, nearest to Jaya ...

–

Vanimo Airport Vanimo Airport is an airport in Vanimo, Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and offshore islands ...

Wewak Wewak is the capital of the East Sepik province of Papua New Guinea. It is on the northern coast of the island of New Guinea. It is the largest town between Madang and Jayapura. It is the see city (seat) of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wewak. ...

–

Wewak Airport Wewak Airport , also known as Boram Airport or Wewak International Airport, is an airport in Wewak, Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania that comprises the ...

Wapenamanda Wapenamanda Rural LLG is a local-level government (LLG) of Enga Province, Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island ...

– Wapenamanda Airport ;Australia *

Cairns Cairns (; ) is a city in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of Far North Queensland. In the , Cairns had a population of 153,181 people. The city was founded in 1876 and named after William Cairns, Sir W ...

–

Cairns Airport Cairns Airport is an international airport in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. Formerly operated by the Cairns Port Authority, the airport was sold by the Queensland Government in December 2008 to a private consortium. It is the seventh busies ...

Future Destinations

Kepulauan Aru The Aru Islands Regency () is a group of about 95 low-lying islands in the Maluku Islands of eastern Indonesia. It also forms a regency of Maluku Province, with a land area of . At the 2011 Census the Regency had a population of 84,138;Biro Pusa ...

–

Benjina Airport Benjina-Nangasuri Airport is located in Benjina, Maluku, Indonesia. There are no regularly scheduled flights to this airport, but chartered or private planes can land at this air strip. Benjina is located on the west side of the Aru Islands, so ...

Fleet

The PNG Air fleet consists of the following aircraft (as of February 2020):

Incidents and accidents

*On 15 December 1992, a Milne Bay Air

Britten-Norman Islander The Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander is a British light utility aircraft and regional airliner designed and originally manufactured by Britten-Norman of the United Kingdom. Still in production, the Islander is one of the best-selling commercial airc ...

aircraft struck a mountain near

, Papua New Guinea. Six people were killed. *On 12 July 1995, a Milne Bay Air

de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter The de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter is a Canadian STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) utility aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada in the mid-1960s and still in production today. Built by De Havilland Canada from 1965 to 1988, Viking ...

aircraft exploded and crashed into shallow water shortly after takeoff from Dagura Airport. Thirteen people were killed. *On 11 May 1996, a Milne Bay Air

flew into a valley surrounded by high terrain near Oumba. Pilot attempted a 180 degree turn, but crashed into trees. One passenger was killed. *On 9 July 1996, a Milne Bay Air Twin Otter aircraft struck a mountain in cloudy conditions on approach to

Mendi Mendi, Papua New Guinea, is the provincial capital of the Southern Highlands Province, and the capital of Mendi-Munihu District. The Lai River flows by the town. It is served by Mendi Airport. The town falls under Mendi Urban LLG. Geogra ...

. Twenty people were killed. *On 29 July 2004, an Airlines PNG Twin Otter crashed near Ononge, in cloudy conditions, killing two people. *On 11 August 2009, Airlines PNG Flight 4684, a Twin Otter, made a failed

go-around In aviation, a go-around is an aborted landing of an aircraft that is on Final_approach_(aeronautics), final approach or has already touched down. A go-around can either be initiated by the pilot flying or requested by air traffic control for var ...

in cloudy conditions near

Kokoda Kokoda is a station town in the Oro Province of Papua New Guinea. It is famous as the northern end of the Kokoda Track, site of the eponymous Kokoda Track campaign of World War II. In that campaign, it had strategic significance because it had the ...

. The aircraft crashed into a mountain at an altitude of 5500 feet (1676 metres). All 13 people on board were killed. *On 13 October 2011, a

Dash 8-100 The De Havilland Canada DHC-8, commonly known as the Dash 8, is a series of turboprop-powered regional airliners, introduced by de Havilland Canada (DHC) in 1984. DHC was bought by Boeing in 1986, then by Bombardier in 1992, then by Longvi ...

, registration P2-MCJ, operating

Airlines PNG Flight 1600 On 13 October 2011, Airlines PNG Flight 1600, a Dash 8 regional aircraft on a domestic flight from Lae to Madang, Papua New Guinea, crash-landed in a forested area near the mouth of the Guabe River, after losing all engine power. Only 4 of th ...

from Lae to Madang crashed 20 km south of Madang and caught fire, killing 28 of the 32 people on board.

References

External links

Official Website
{{Authority control Airlines of Papua New Guinea Airlines established in 1987 1987 establishments in Oceania