PX: Mining charter with new Dash 8

Business, Normal
Source:

The National, Wednesday 12th June 2013

 AIR Niugini welcomed a new Dash 8 aircraft yesterday for its commercial routes and expected mining charter service operations, according to acting chief executive Simon Foo.

The Dash 8-315 series aircraft under the Papua New Guinea registration P2-PXL was flown in from North Bay, Ontario, Canada to Port Moresby.

Foo said: “With the airline’s focus this year to improve service delivery and on time performance, the arrival of an additional craft would be an added advantage.

“Having the extra Dash 8-300 series aircraft will greatly assist in schedule reliability and redundancy, hence improving on- time performance on the domestic sector.”

He said the aircraft would also give Air Niugini an opportunity to further tap into mining charter services.

Foo said the board decided that Air Niugini would put machine straight to work.

Foo thanked his predecessor, former chief executive Wasantha Kumarasiri, for his initiatives that boosted the airlines profile in the international travel industry. 

“I want to assure you the public of Papua New Guinea that with this equipment (Dash 8 craft) we are going to do better on our on-time performance.”

The Dash 8-315 series has 50 seats unlike the Dash 8-200 series with only 37 seats.

The new aircraft will be plying to all domestic ports.

Its arrival will bring to 28 Air Niugini’s aircraft fleet, including the Boeing 767, Boeing 737, Fokker 100, Q400, Dash 8-100/200/300 series.

Since last January, the airline has also received two additional Q400 aircraft.

Air Niugini currently operates to 25 domestic ports and 10 international destinations.