Air Niugini Enhances Operations with SkyUp 737-800 Wet Lease Amid Fleet Renewal

Air Niugini, Papua New Guinea’s national airline, has extended its wet lease agreement with SkyUp Airlines for a B737-800 aircraft until early March, as revealed by the airline’s Acting CEO Gary Seddon in an interview with Port Moresby’s Post Courier. This temporary arrangement aims to boost capacity on the busy Port Moresby – Lae route during the Southern Hemisphere’s summer season.

The leased aircraft, UR-SQO (msn 40880), arrived in Papua New Guinea on December 25, 2023, and commenced its revenue operations for Air Niugini the next day. It is currently operating four daily roundtrip services on the Port Moresby – Lae Nadzab city pair. According to Seddon, this lease will support the airline’s operations until early March, with no plans for further leasing arrangements at this time.

Air Niugini typically operates two B737-800s. However, one of its aircraft, P2-PXA (msn 40966), is currently undergoing maintenance in Port Moresby and has been out of service since December 6. To cover for another B767-300ER undergoing heavy maintenance in Addis Ababa International, Air Niugini has also wet-leased a B767-300ER from Omni Air International.

Despite relying on leased aircraft for interim solutions, Seddon emphasizes Air Niugini’s preference for using its own crew and aircraft. The airline values the support from SkyUp and Omni during this period.

Air Niugini is undergoing a significant fleet renewal program. In June 2023, it ordered two B787-8s to replace its B767-300ERs. November saw the closure of a deal with Airbus for six A220-100s, with plans to acquire five more through third-party lessors. These new Airbus jets are set to replace Air Niugini’s F70s and F100s fleet.

The airline’s recent fleet decisions align with Seddon’s observation of the past lack of investment in MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) at Air Niugini. This has led to high numbers of aircraft going out of service and network reliability issues. Seddon mentioned a strategic plan to rationalize the fleet from six types to three or four, as reported by ch-aviation last year. This move marks a significant step in Air Niugini’s efforts to streamline its operations and enhance service reliability.