Morobe Province in Papua New Guinea Launches Own Airline, Morobe Wings, to Serve Remote Areas

The government of Morobe Province in Papua New Guinea has announced the creation of a new airline, Morobe Wings (Lae Nadzab), aimed at enhancing air transport services for the region’s remote communities. The provincial government plans to purchase a DHC-6 aircraft for PGK6 million (USD1.6 million) to facilitate this initiative.

Governor Luther Wenge, speaking to The National newspaper, cited the inadequacies of existing air services by North Coast Aviation and other mission aviation operators as the primary motivation for establishing the provincial airline. Issues with these services have left significant gaps in connectivity for remote settlements in the province.

Deputy Governor Willie Simbisi is currently leading negotiations in China for the acquisition of the aircraft, following approval from the provincial executive council. The new entity, Morobe Wings Limited, will operate the airline on behalf of the provincial government, though it is yet to be officially registered in PNG’s business databases.

Morobe Wings will be headquartered in Lae, the provincial capital, and will focus on providing essential air services to areas within the province that are not accessible by road. This initiative comes as a response to the logistical challenges faced by the province’s nearly 700,000 residents, spread over an area of 33,705 square kilometers with limited road infrastructure.

Currently, while major carriers such as Air Niugini and PNG Air offer scheduled flights to and from Lae, they do not provide flights within the province itself. Morobe Wings aims to fill this gap, ensuring better connectivity and support for the province’s remote and rural communities.

The Morobe provincial government continues to provide updates as negotiations progress and further details about the launch and operations of Morobe Wings are expected soon.