Mangi Lo Ples welcomed in Hagen

MORE than 100 people welcomed Mangi Lo Peles on its inaugural flight to Kagamuga airport on Sunday morning.
The sky was overcast and the drone of the engines pulled the crowd together as the bright orange and white aircraft landed to the cheers and tears of joy from Travel Air ground and sales staff who were out in force to welcome the aircraft.
The Fokker Friendship aircraft will be making daily runs from Port Moresby to Mt Hagen and return via Lae.
It offers one of the cheapest airfare rates.
Chairman of the Sarakolok West Transport group of companies Eremas Wartoto was absent for the occasion.
He provided the service after numerous requests from the people of Western Highlands.
Wartoto said after opening the Mt Hagen service the airline would now be looking at linking up Wewak, in East Sepik, and Vanimo, West Sepik.
A landowner and Mt Hagen Airport Security Service personnel Samuel Rumint could not hold back his joy after seeing the aircraft, which has had its share of controversy, land in Western Highlands.
Rumint said the people of the province had asked for the airline which offered much lower fares than the two regular airlines, Air Niugini and Airlines PNG.