Govt urged to put more focus on bush air services

By GLORIA BAUAI
A long-time pilot flying rural PNG says it’s time the Government considers a scheme for bush-work aeroplanes.
North Coast Aviation chief executive officer Geoff Thiele said bush air services were the most convenient and fastest mode to serving the rural population.
“The biggest problem in the bush, particularly where there’s no surface transport, is the cost of air transport,” he said.
“There’s not a lot we can do about that but the Government can subsidise rural airstrips and have, at least, a once a fortnight service to every serviceable airstrip; there are kids there that need to be educated, health services there that need to be provided, particularly for women.”
“The answer may be to build more roads and keep maintaining which is a very difficult proposition in PNG.
“As people also become more affluent, time becomes more valuable; so until the roads are built, the rural link needs to be kept viable.”
Thiele founded NCA in 1990 together with three other ex-Tel Air staff when the airline ceased operations.
After 40 years serving rural PNG, Thiele said airstrip conditions had not been maintained as well as it should have been.
“Poor facilities and high cost of doing business has had a huge strain on maintaining our service,” he explained.
“Every business needs to upgrade their equipment but our problem is that for a new plane, you’re looking at a maximum of US$2.5mil (about K10mil).
“Currently, we have three aeroplanes but the amount of work we do needs at least two more aeroplanes to add to the fleet which we’re looking at that now.”