The Papua New Guinea Government has made available a total of over K5 billion (US$1.24 billion) to purchase a new Air Niugini fleet.
Air Niugini board chairman Kagl Yalo announced this at the opening of the second ticketing sales office inside Tininga Shopping centre at Dobel outside Mt Hagen in Western Highlands Province.
He said Air Niugini was very confident that they would see a reduction in airfares also after the refleet programme was completed.
Yalo said this K5.1 billion(US$1.26 billion) investment had been made positive under State owned Enterprise (SoE) Minister William Duma at the National Executive Council (NEC) level. He said the Government had embraced in this investment and was pleased to announce that the first aircraft would arrive in the country in September.
Yalo was speaking before the State owned Enterprise Minister William Duma, provincial member Wai Rapa, chief executive officer Greg Sheden and other board of directors with the business communities that attended the programme.
The second sales office adds to number of businesses investing in Mt Hagen that will create safe and conducive environments for the customers not to stand at a long queue at the sales office in Mt Hagen.
“Minister Duma and Provincial Member Rapa I want to assure you today that when the refleet programme is completed, Air Niugini is very confident to reduce the airfares,” Yalo said.
