Air Niugini still a safe airline, says ex-pilot

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Rigo MP and former Air Niugini Boeing 767 pilot Lekwa Gure has told Parliament Air Niugini is “still a very safe airline”.
Gure, during grievance debate on Friday, said Air Niugini had reached the stage where in terms of operational standards and safety it could not be comparable with Qantas and Air New Zealand.
“I still maintain that Air Niugini is a very safe airline,” he said.
“Other big airlines also have accidents as well.
“Personally, when I get on the Air Niugini aircraft, I feel comfortable and that I’m safe. The fact that a lot of Papua New Guineans are now flying overseas demonstrates that our pilots have reached that level where they can be competitive on the international market.” Gure, who had served the airline industry for many years, said one of the main factors of airline accidents was environment. He said:

  • Bad weather or volcanic ash caused accidents;
  • Infrastructure in terms of runways, lighting systems and navigational aids systems were vital;
  • Maintenance of aircraft was vital;
  • Management could also be a contributing factor to accidents as working conditions could affect morale; and,
  • Human factor, social life, cultural issues and training were areas that could affect employees, particularly pilots.

“I used to work closely with some pilots who were working for Civil Aviation Safety Authority PNG, who were former employees of Qantas,” Gure said.
“They said Air Niugini had reached the standard where it can be competitive on the international market.”