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Air Niugini is the airline company of Papua New Guinea. It was originally a wholly-government owned carrier set up exclusively to provide domestic services in a country without an extensive road network, which had until that time relied largely on the Sepik River as its main trade conduit.
Since its inception in 1973 as the National Airline of Papua New Guinea, Air Niugini has made it possible to experience the best that the country has to offer. The airline shows you the spectacular Highland regions, takes you down the mighty Sepik River and into coastal villages that remain virtually unexplored.
International services commenced in 1984 when the airline acquired an Airbus A300 on lease from Trans Australia Airlines. This was replaced several years later with two Airbus A310s as the carrier expanded to offer flights principally between Australian Eastern capital cities and destinations in Asia such as Singapore and Manila.
The airline endured considerable hardships in the 1990s, with unrest in Bougainville and a volcanic eruption in Rabaul destabilising the company's busiest domestic services. The Asian currency crisis also made an impact, with Air Niugini posting financial losses during this decade. The government of Papua New Guinea responded by cutting jobs from the airline, suppressing wages, as well as opening offices in Asia and Europe in an attempt at having the airline run profitably. The reforms bore fruit by 2003, with the airline posting a profit of US$15.8 million for that year.
A Boeing 767 was acquired in August 2002, which the airline used to offer expanded international services. Combined with aggressive pricing, this made it the most competitively priced airline on many of its routes. A sharing agreement still exists with Qantas in which that airline buys "blocks" of seats on Air Niugini's flights between Port Moresby and Australia.
The financial turnaround seems to have stymied pressure from various sectors, including the IMF and the Australian Government, to privatise the national carrier. The PNG government has voiced concerns that privatisation would jeopardise domestic routes that provide a vital service to regional people and encourage economic development, but which fail to realise a profit.
Like the pioneers of a century ago, Air Niugini is opening up this magnificent country, sharing its ancient traditions and unspoiled landscapes with visitors from around the world. Each year the airline endeavours to introduce new and exciting holiday opportunities to show off their country like no-one else can.
External Links
Official site (http://www.airniugini.com.pg)
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