Showing posts with label Air Niugini. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Air Niugini. Show all posts

01 November, 2023

Air Niugini orders the A220 jets for fleet modernisation programme.


Air Niugini, the national carrier of Papua New Guinea, has signed a firm order with Airbus for six latest generation single aisle A220-100s under its fleet modernisation programme. In addition, the carrier will acquire three A220-300s and another two A220-100s from third-party lessors. 

The order was announced at a special event in Port Moresby by Gary Seddon, Acting Chief Executive Officer Air Niugini and Anand Stanley, President Airbus Asia-Pacific, in the presence of the Hon. James Marape, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea and Hon. William Duma, Minister for State Enterprises.

Combining the longest range, lowest fuel consumption and widest cabin in the 100-150 seat category, the A220 will be operated by Air Niugini across its domestic and regional network. The new fleet will deliver more capacity and greater reliability across the domestic network and enable the carrier to fly from the capital Port Moresby to new destinations across the Asia-Pacific region.
 
Gary Seddon, Acting Chief Executive Officer of Air Niugini said: “This is a milestone in the history of our national airline that will support the growth of trade and tourism in Papua New Guinea. The new aircraft will offer the highest levels of comfort for our passengers, while also ensuring a significant reduction in fuel consumption and emissions when compared to the aircraft they will replace.”

12 June, 2023

Air Niugini completes order for two Boeing 787-8s Dreamliners


Air Niugini has confirmed an order for two Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners to support the growth of the carrier's long-haul fleet. The jets will enable the national flag carrier of Papua New Guinea to fly new routes from the Pacific island nation and boost capacity for inbound tourism. 

"Signing this contract with Boeing for the purchase of two modern, widebody 787 Dreamliners will enable Air Niugini to grow its network across Asia, Australia, and New Zealand and fulfil its mission as the premier airline in Papua New Guinea, providing the best air service in the region," said Gary Seddon, acting CEO of Air Niugini.

More than 85 customers around the world have placed orders for more than 1,600 Dreamliners, making the 787 Dreamliner the fastest-selling widebody aeroplane in history. Since entering service in 2011, the 787 family's fuel efficiency, flexibility and range have enabled airlines to open more than 350 new nonstop routes.

"The excellent capability of the 787 allows Air Niugini to open Port Moresby to more destinations, increasing tourism and economic growth in the South Pacific region," said Erika Pearson, Boeing vice president, Commercial Sales and Marketing, Southeast Asia and Oceania. "The Dreamliner's flexibility, outstanding efficiency and unmatched passenger comfort will enable Air Niugini to provide improved long-haul connectivity to the islands."  

Built with lightweight composite materials and powered by advanced engines, the 787 Dreamliner can fly up to 20% more passengers while reducing fuel use and emissions by 25% compared to the aeroplanes it replaces. The 787-8's range reaches up to 13,530 km in a typical two-class configuration.

Boeing has worked with Air Niugini for more than 45 years. The airline operates a domestic network from Port Moresby across Papua New Guinea, as well as international flights across the Asia-Pacific region, including to Australia, Singapore, Solomon Islands and Fiji. The airline's fleet includes Boeing 737s and 767s.

07 May, 2019

Air Niugini successfully hosts 3rd annual Kokoda Cup

Photo Air Niugini
Air Niugini has successfully hosted the 3rd annual Kokoda Cup match in a colourful ceremony yesterday (Sunday, 05th May) at the National Football Stadium in Port Moresby, coinciding with the Queensland Intrust Cup round 9 match between SP PNG Hunters and Townsville Blackhawks.

The cup was carried onto the field by two Air Niugini pilots, First Officers Ponrilei Posanau and Bernice Watinga, accompanied by the lovely cabin crew- all in uniform. The pilots handed over the cup to Air Niugini Managing Director, Alan Milne who later passed it to Chairman of PNG Rugby Football League, Sandis Tsaka.

04 November, 2018

Clouds of uncertainty hanging over the Icelandic aviation industry.

Keilir volcanic mountain in Hafnarfjorour Photo Iceland.is
There is a cloud of uncertainty hanging over the aviation industry in Iceland at the present time, the years of continuous growth has, it seems rather abruptly come to an end. The new keyword on the lips of Icelandic aviation managers and commentators is 'consolidation'. This rapid downturn in business has been aptly demonstrated by the latest figures released from the national carrier, Icelandair, showing a massive 32% drop in net profits during the third quarter. 

Load factor for the airline fell by 2% over the last quarter compared to the same period last year, surprising considering that the cost of flights has reduced somewhat over the year, mainly due to increased competition. The North American routes saw loads drop from 87.5% during the third-quarter in 2017 to 81.3% this year, however, the European routes saw increases, up to 89% from 84.4%. The carrier has also axed a number of routes, such as those from/ to Birmingham, Belfast and Glasgow as well as delaying the restart of a seasonal route to Cleveland, by at least two months. There is little doubt within the aviation sector that Icelandair will cut some more routes before this winter is out.

Another cloud over the Icelandair Group is the crash of the Air Niugini  Boeing 737-8BK aircraft, registered P2-PXE, on Friday 28 September 2018, that claimed the life of one of the male passengers on board. The aircraft was leased to the Loftlieder part of the group who in turn subleased it to Air Niugini.  Whilst there should be no financial liabilities for Loftlieder or the Icelandair Group as a whole, it could prove embarrassing if the current ongoing investigation finds any long-term mechanical or maintenance issues with the aircraft.

Photo Icelandair
Icelandair's interim President and CEO Bogi Nils Bogason admitted the results were not great but were in line with previously published expectations: “Our third-quarter results declined between years, but are in line with the EBITDA guidance published at the end of August.  EBITDA amounted to a total of USD 115 million, USD 41 million short of the figure for the third quarter of 2017.  Higher fuel prices, low average airfares and a less favourable passenger load factor are the principal reasons for the decline in performance."

28 September, 2018

Air Niugini Boeing 737 crash lands in the sea

Dramatic scenes have emerged in the lagoon near the runway at Chuuk International Airport, on the tiny Micronesian island of Weno, as a Boeing 737 belonging to local carrier Air Niugini landed on the sea some 500 metres short of the runway. 

Locals came to the aid of the passengers in small fishing boats after the plane continued into the water of the lagoon and started to slowly sink.  The aircraft was carrying just 35 passengers and 12 crew at the time of the incident, all were rescued and taken ashore. It is believed that 8 passengers have been injured and a hospital official told Reuters news agency that four passengers were in a serious condition after the crash, one is believed to have a hip fracture. 

The runway at Chuuk International Airport is 6,006 feet in length and a spokesperson for Papua New Guinea's Accident Investigation Commission has confirmed that investigators were on the way to piece together exactly what happened and find out why the Boeing 737-800 came to rest in the sea.

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