Govt urged to support rural airstrip operators

Main Stories

THIRD-level airlines in Papua New Guinea have played a crucial role in the development of the nation, especially in the rural areas, and the government should look at subsidising rural airstrip operators, a minister told Parliament yesterday.
Minister for Information, Telecommunication and Energy Sam Basil said there were a few third-level operators and subsiding them was vital.
His comment followed the presentation of PNG Air Service Ltd’s 2016 annual performance report by Minister for Civil Aviation Alfred Manase.
Basil said one of the most important issues that was affecting third-level airlines was high fuel costs.
“Turbine engine uses Jet A1 fuel which is cheap and easily accessible while piston engine uses F-gas.
“With the F-gas, most of them are being ordered from Holland in containers and the price becomes very expensive and I would like to question the existence of the Napanapa Refinery in Port Moresby.
“What kind of fuel are they processing and can we make sure that they produce Jet A1 and F-gas for our aviation industry so that there are cheaper fuels available for those third-level operators?”
Basil said it was important that we had cheaper fuel available because most of our rural people rely on air transportation.
“Let’s make sure that we pass the cost down to make sure that the people have access to cheaper airfare or the operators pass the cost down to them so that they can afford the aircraft fare,” Basil said.
“We have to look further by looking at how and why those costs are high.”
Basil said that, for example, a public servant working in a rural area could not afford a single airfare on a single pay.
Instead he would have to save up four or five pays to be able afford to fly somewhere, Basil said.