Kua congratulates Capt Pakii on aviation milestone

THE success story of Air Niugini pilot Capt Beverly Pakii has been described as a source of joy, inspiration and encouragement during a time when stories of negativity saturate the media.
Former Attorney-General and Sinasina-Yongomugl MP Kerenga Kua said Captain Pakii became not only the first woman in the country to be in command of a commercial jet aircraft, but she was also the first for Air Niugini. Kua said his district also had a partnership programme with Air Niugini in which the airline sponsored two cadets from the district.
They are to graduate this year.
“The standards in Air Niugini are very high by international standards, and for Pakii to reach that level demonstrates that she is among the world’s elite club of commercial airline pilots.” Kua said Pakii’s career progression had a lot of messages in it.
“It shows that young Papua New Guineans can continuously reach out and achieve goals which previously were thought to be beyond the reach of ordinary Papua New Guineans,” he said.
“But most of all, Pakii’s story highlights the vast potential that is trapped in the young people of the country which through proper education and conditioning can be brought into fruition.”
Kua said Pakii’s successes should be a message to all young people that “if she can do it, they too can”.
“To be a commercial pilot in an airline like Air Niugini requires nothing but the best intellects and the most disciplined,” he said.