By ELIZABETH VUVU
A 27-YEAR- old man in New Ireland was arrested and charged with destroying navigational lights at the Kavieng Airport, a week after it was set up.
Acting police commander Insp Elizah Taksir said the incident occurred last Sunday at 4.30pm.
The man identified as Lawrence Asio from Mamanus in Mussau Island is in police custody.
Insp Taksir said the suspect damaged a runway light that enables night landing and was proceeding on to remove the second one, when he was caught and taken to the police station.
The suspect has since been charged with four counts - two under the Civil Aviation Authority Act and two by police.
Those under the CAA Act include entering the runway illegally and interfering with navigational lights for aircraft landing.
He was charged by police for being in possession of live ammunition and being in possession of marijuana.
The suspect will appear in court on Feb 15.
When asked to comment if this incident would disrupt night landing in Kavieng, the Kavieng Airport manager Michael Vitata said luckily they have started night landing as yet.
He said this was because CAA officers were still working on establishing other necessary facilities to fully cater for night landing.
Since volcanic ash fall has been recently disrupting flights in and out of Tokua airport in East New Britain, the Kavieng airport has been catering for most of the flights.
Mr Vitata said, however the two runway lights have been replaced and night landing at the airport would be determined soon by the CAA head office in Port Moresby.