Manase distances NAC from airport flight snub

By LUKE KAMA
CIVIL Aviation Minister Alfred Manase said that Kundiawa Airport in Chimbu is ready to take in flights but the decision not to resume flights was with airline companies.
Manase said this in response to concerns raised by Chimbu Governor Michael Dua and the Chimbu government over the cancellation of flights by Air Niugini and PNG Air into Kundiawa. Flights stopped in 2011.
Manase told The National yesterday that as far as the National Airports Corporation (NAC) was concerned, Kundiawa airport was good for flights.
Dua said the airport served both Chimbu and Jiwaka provinces and the people of the two province cannot continue to travel up to Goroka then Mt Hagen.
“I welcome the plan by the National Government to relocate Kundiawa Airport,” he said.
“But this will take some time to happen. Our people need air services to resume back in the province and we are requesting for the airline companies (Air Niugini and PNG Air) to come clear on resuming service flights into Kundiawa.”
The governor said that with the expected increase in the quality of medical services in the province due to a CT and MRI scanner installed at the Sir Joseph Nombri Memorial Kundiawa General Hospital, patients were expected to come into the province from all over the country.
He said travelling by road was inconvenient.
“Now that we have the CT and MRI scan machines installed at the hospital and to be opened very soon, it is important that service flights into Kundiawa is resumed to provide easy access to these advanced medical services,” Dua said.
He said the provincial government was willing to assist in any way possible to ensure flights resumed in the province.
Attempts to get comments from the two airlines yesterday were unsuccessful.