Air Niugini will return to New Zealand this month after receiving its International Airline Licence today.

Department of Transport Secretary Mathew Wowoni formally presented Licence No. 29 to Air Niugini Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Alan Milne at the Department's headquarters at 7 Mile in Port Moresby.

According to a statement, the licence allows Air Niugini to operate scheduled services between Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Auckland, after meeting all regulatory, safety, operational and financial requirements.

Mr. Wowoni called it a significant milestone for the airline and the country.

“The presentation of this licence represents a significant milestone for Air Niugini and Papua New Guinea as the national airline prepares to recommence services to New Zealand after 26 years,” he said.

“It is an important step in strengthening air connectivity, trade, tourism and people-to-people links between the two countries.”

Mr. Wowoni said Air Niugini already flies to almost all Pacific Island countries, and the Auckland service will further strengthen PNG's connections across the region.

“Air Niugini already flies to almost all Pacific Island countries. With the commencement of Auckland services, we look forward to welcoming more of our Kiwi friends to Papua New Guinea while providing PNG travellers with greater access to New Zealand.”

Air Niugini CEO, Mr. Milne thanked the Government for its support, saying launching an international route takes major planning across ground handling, catering, logistics and regulatory approvals.

“Launching an international route requires significant planning and coordination across many areas of the business, including ground handling, catering, logistics, regulatory approvals and bilateral arrangements. State approval is a critical component of that process, and we are grateful for the support received.” Mr. Milne said.

The CEO said the Auckland route aligns with the airline's long-term growth strategy and strengthens its regional network.

“New Zealand is an excellent addition to our network and complements Air Niugini's hub-and-spoke strategy through Port Moresby,” he said.

“The service will strengthen links between Auckland, Papua New Guinea, Australia's east coast, and destinations throughout the Pacific and Asia.”

Direct flights between Port Moresby and Auckland will recommence on Tuesday, 17th November.

Air Niugini will operate three services a week. Flight PX 31 will leave Port Moresby at 9:30am every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, arriving in Auckland at 6:30pm local time.

Return flights will leave Auckland at 9:00am every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, arriving in Port Moresby at 12:00pm. Flight time is about 5 hours and 40 minutes.

Services will start on the Boeing 737-800 before moving to the airline's new Airbus A220-300 aircraft.

The Auckland route forms part of Air Niugini’s broader network expansion program and reinforces the airline’s commitment to strengthen Papua New Guinea’s connectivity with Key Markets across the Pacific region.