RE: PNG gets funding to upgrade airports and improve CAA

Flightglobal:

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is planning to upgrade the country's 21 airports using funding from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The ADB says the bank's......

Author: Leithen Francis

Date: 30 November 2009

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This is indeed encouraging news. When I was last up there working for the then Dept. of Civil Aviation, and then Airlines PNG (to 1999), the basic State run airports were deteriorating alarmingly due lack of funding. Strips were subject to severe potholes, needed re-sheeting to inprove drainage in heavy rain and to enhance braking effectiveness. We had installed new VORs and GPS approaches were on the way, but funding for nav-aid maintenance was always a problem. Night lighting also became an issue with power outages and lack of serviceable stand-by generators etc. One could go on and on. But a key need is for the CAA to attract suitable people to organise all the work required. I shall follow this with great interest. I was a pilot in PNG for many years and just loved it up there. All the best PNG.