China Southern Airlines will make its inaugural flight from Guangzhou to Port Moresby in December 2023.
Minister for Transport and Civil Aviation and Member for Namatanai Open, Walter D. Schnaubelt said during his speech on the occasion of the 2023 Christmas event on 28 November at the Niusky Pacific Limited office premises.
“Air service agreements (ASAs) will also progress with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar and New Zealand whilst those with Australia, Singapore and others can be discussed and updated to meet the demands of post Covid travels,” Minister Schnaubelt said.
“Looking ahead to 2024 and beyond, the department of transport will continue to facilitate the coordination of policy, regulation, budgeting and planning of investments on the three modes of transportation (water, land and air),” he said.
All the agencies under the Ministry for Transport and Civil Aviation will provide the policy and legislative reviews, particularly in the aviation and maritime modal sectors.
The aviation policy will be presented to the National Executive Council by end of Quarter 1, 2024 and railways and electric vehicles will be progressed.
Minister Schnaubelt said infrastructure is “the Engine” and transport can be considered as “the wheels” of economic growth.
Adequate infrastructure is needed not only for economic growth but also to bring the benefits of a higher economic performance to people living in rural and isolated areas and to enable them to participate in mainstream economic activities, thus contributing to the reduction of poverty.
“Going rural Connect PNG” must include rural airstrips, jetties and provincial and district roads.
Connect PNG includes land, aviation and maritime connectivity. All goods for domestic consumption and exports, will initially be transported by road, then by ports and airports.
All aircrafts, ships and vehicles that use the transport infrastructures are first cleared of their safety requirements.
With transport being the conduit for economic development and social services delivery, our team will continue to strive to provide a “functional transport system” for PNG, the Pacific Island countries, the APEC member economies and the rest of the world. Programmes such as ADB CADIP 1 and 2, the feasibility study reviews and design of the new Wewak and Vanimo Ports, the TSSP 3 under the Australian Government’s TSSP 3 are very import partnership programmes to PNG.
