K6mil aircraft for Morobe

By JIMMY KALEBE
THE MOROBE government has decided to buy a Twin-Otter aircraft for K6 million for people in remote areas of the province, Governor Luther Wenge says.
“Our team, led by deputy governor Willie Simbisi, is now in China to negotiate for the plane that the provincial executive council has resolved and approved to buy during the meeting at Bayune Lutheran Secondary School last week,” he said.
Wenge said in relation to air transport, many people in the isolated districts are suffering as there are not many planes servicing remote areas like Kabwum, Siassi and others.
“North Coast Aviation has its own problems and other mission aviation operators cannot step in due to problems they may have encountered,” he said.
Wenge said that some airstrips in remote locations were non-operational.
According to Wenge, the new plane would be operated by a company established by the provincial government called Morobe Wings Limited. He said Morobe Wings was a subsidiary of Morobe government and was incorporated recently by the people working for that company now.
“This company will be in-charge of running the plane on behalf of the provincial government to serve the many rural districts and locations we have in the province,” Wenge said.
He said Morobe Wings would be operate out of Nadzab’s Tomodachi International Airport.
“People in those rural locations in the province should be the ones receiving this service once it is in operation as many of those areas are not reached by road,” he said.
Wenge did not give details of when the service would be available.