NAC assures safety at Kagamuga

NATIONAL Airports Corporation (NAC) managing director and chief executive officer Rex Kiponge has assured the public safety and security at the Kagamuga Airport in Mt Hagen, Western Highlands.
He said travellers must be able to use the airport freely without any concern for safety.
Kiponge was flanked by provincial police commander Joe Puri, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Highlands eastern end division Rigga Neggi, PNG Defence Force Lt Col Davai Tau and Kagamuga ward three councillor Wani Barr in Mt Hagen on Wednesday.
This follows the spilling of oil by perpetrators on Monday night at the airport runway resulting in the closure of the airport on Tuesday.
Kiponge said the airport was now opened with normal flights resumed, and NAC would tighten its internal airport security.
“We inspected the site and did the assessment, we will make a decision on what course of action to take,” he said.
“What has happened is a national security breach, we will not tolerate such things, we will tighten up our internal security,” he said.
“My appeal to police and PNGDF is that the Mt Hagen airport is a strategic airport that services the rest of the Highlands and those security personnel who are assigned in the elections, it is our collective duty as the airport is a State asset.
“We must all work together to protect the asset of the Government.
“Let us work together to give this kind of support and safety and security to our travelling public, especially during this election period.
“Our appeal to the local communities and the leaders here is to apprehend the suspects and surrender them to police.
“The NAC will not tolerate such things (incidents) in the immediate future. I can assure that we will close down this airport, our core business is safety and security, and we will never compromise.”