Enga continues partnership with Air Niugini

Caption:   Air Niugini CEO Simon Foo, receiving the cheque from Enga Governor Peter Ipatas


By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, March 2, 2014 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)




ENGA Provincial Government continued its long standing relationship with the country’s national airline, Air Niugini last week, with the presentation of a cheque of K200,000 to subsidise the cost of travel and also the addition of an extra scheduled flight into the province.

The K200,000 is part of the Provincial Government increased commitment of K1 million for 2014, from the previous yearly subsidy assistance of K250,000 per annum.

This increase will also see the introduction of an addition weekly flight into the province’s district of Wapenamanda to reduce the burden of travelling to Hagan by road in order to travel to Port Moresby- bringing the total number of weekly flight into the province to six, from the previous number of five a week.

In presenting the first cheque instalment, Enga Governor Peter Ipatas, said that his province valued the partnership with Air Niugini and the subsidy and additional flight would greatly assist the rural population in the district and province as a whole.

“We have had a long working relationship, which is fruitful, we want to thank them for increasing flights all the time,” he said.

 “The airline will be providing air services to Wapenamanda, and we are basically providing the subsidy in order to give our less fortunate people who do not have vehicles- people who have backgrounds in subsistence farming who do not have the additional fund to pay their fares to Hagan and on to Port Moresby, to assist the small people of Enga."

“Even though we have the big Pogera Mine up there- the people do not see any direct benefits, and we see that this is one of the benefits that they can gain through the provincial government.”

The governor also highlighted the fact that Enga now had many educational institutions to offer learning at all levels, and air travel was vital in order to assist in day to day operations and the movement of staff and students.                                                                                                                                                                             “Now that we have more institutions that are being built in Enga like the teachers college, a Institute of Business Studies campus, Enga nursing college, and our big provincial hospital that will be built- there will be a lot of people travelling for medical attention, and of course we have plans to have a medical school attached to the hospital,” Ipatas added.

“These are the things that need a reliable air service between the nation’s capital and our province, and as the national airline it is only right that we make sure it reaches the length and breadth of the country.”

“Generally speaking we have done the numbers and there is a benefit, for the K1 million we are spending we think we can save another K3-K4 million in savings.”

There to receive the cheque, Air Niugini Chief Executive Officer Simon Foo said that the new flight arrangements would take place in April, when the airline usually updates its flight schedule.

“On this occasion we are happy to continue the partnership with the Enga Provincial government in the way Air Niugini operates to service the province up there,” he said.

“In the previous few years, Enga Provincial Government has been one of the first governments to support the Air Niugini partnership with flights into the province.

“It is a positive move on behalf of the governor and his team to assist Air Niugini and also provide extra services for his people.”

“On behalf of my management team I would like to thank the governor sincerely for this partnership,” he added.