PNG Air talks relief, job security

By SHIRLEY MAULUDU
PNG Air chief executive Paul Abbot says if the negative impacts of Covid-19 continue without some relief then it might not be viable for the airline to continue.
Abbot told The National in response to queries raised by the paper following a letter that the airline issued to its employees on Friday.
“PNG Air is not closing its operations,” Abbot said. “The letter to staff was an update on our current situation and to let staff know that we are continuing to fight for the survival of the airline.
“The big unknown is of course how long and how deeply we will feel the impact of Covid-19 and therefore one potential outcome if this continues to drag on is that without some relief then it may not be viable for the airline to continue.”
Abbot said they hoped, though, that this will not be the case.
In the letter to the staff, Abbot said they had approached the Government for support also on the basis that the aviation sector was a vital cog in the ongoing development of PNG and formed a vital lifeline for many communities.
“We have made this request on behalf of the 796 direct employees of the airline, the 250 indirect employees and the many dependents and family members who would be severely impacted by the closure of PNG Air,” he said.
“And on behalf of the more than 2,600 shareholders (almost all of whom are Papua New Guineans or PNG entities) and the many tens of thousands of Papua New Guineans who indirectly hold interests in the airline through our major shareholders MRDC (Mineral Resources Development Company), Nasfund, other entities such as TISA and various local suppliers.”