Paul Phelan/CAIRNS
PAPUA NEW Guinea has begun the progressive withdrawal of major elements of its aviation infrastructure because of a lack of funding.
The closures could eventually result in a complete shut down of the country's airways system and its airports.
Air-traffic-control (ATC) services have been closed at three of the country's major secondary airports - Goroka, Madang and Wewak. Flight-service arrangements have also been withdrawn at the Tokua airfield which the Government set up to cope with a volcanic eruption at Rabaul.
The problems outlined by the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) at an industry meeting held in Port Moresby in late December 1994 included a lack of funding for fuel, spares, maintenance, travel costs, operational office supplies and even cleaning materials.
The DCA had warned that based on safety considerations, and given the limited funding:
ATC at further major airports will be closed or curtailed;
more key flight-services and 19 provincial airports would be closed;
more major airports may be closed because of pavement deterioration and secondary-growth infringements to approach and transitional surfaces. "Should the financial situation continue for the next six months, it is possible that all major airports in the country may be closed because of a total lack of maintenance," says the DCA.
at least 19 radio-navigation aids and communications repeaters have already been unserviceable for periods beyond International Civil Aviation Organisation requirements because of a lack of preventative maintenance;
weather observations and forecasting services, including services for overflying international traffic, will be curtailed drastically;
airworthiness surveillance has been diminished and will be further curtailed, which may "...result in frequent accidents";
some aeronautical-information service documents have not been amended for several years and some charts are unavailable;
airport rescue and firefighting services at seven major airports are likely to be unavailable because of equipment breakdowns.
Air Niugini annually carries about 1 million domestic passengers. Four major regional airlines and numerous third-level operators also provide a network of services, many to settlements and islands linked only by air.
Source: Flight International
