Work to improve aviation security and safety

PAPUA New Guinea is working with other Pacific countries including Australia, New Zealand and Fiji to improve aviation security and safety in the region following the impact of Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic on the industry since 2019.
PNG Civil Aviation Safety Authority (Casa) chief executive officer and director Benedict Oraka said as a member of Pacific Islands Civil Aviation Safety and Security Treaty (Picasst), PNG supported the regional effort to improve security and safety and to restore confidence to international and regional air travels.
Oraka, who attended the second regional aviation minister’s meeting (RAMM2) in the Cook Islands virtually, told The National that the regional effort was “significantly important” to keep the industry competitive and safe.
“The regional aviation ministers meeting is to make sure that the aviation industry is secured, safer and sustainable in the region,” he said.
International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) secretary general Juan Carlos Salazar said Pacific needed to be better engaged for regional security as it began to recover from the Covid-19.
He said the regional effort would improve long term sustainable development for civil aviation for the 10 Picasst members.
According to Picasst, the industry should be fully recovered between 12 and 24 months through the regional effort and approach towards improving aviation security and safety.
The 10 Picasst members were thw Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, PNG, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu while Australia, Fiji and New Zealand were the associated members of Pacific Aviation Safety Office.