Aviation in Papua New Guinea: a sector profile
A profile of the aviation sector in Papua New Guinea, including airports and airlines.
Air Niugini received three new Airbus A220-330 aircraft in 2025, with the first arriving in September to coincide with PNG’s 50th anniversary celebrations. Credit: Air Niugini.
Industry snapshot
Given PNG’s challenging topography and geography, aviation plays a critical role in transporting people goods across the country.
The 22 major airports in Papua New Guinea are managed and owned by the National Airports Corporation (NAC), while the Civil Aviation Safety Authority regulates the industry.
Jacksons International Airport in Port Moresby (POM) is the primary international gateway into Papua New Guinea, with both an international and domestic terminal. Other airports, including Mount Hagen’s Kagamuga Airport, also have limited international connections servicing the mining sector. Despite its name, Lae’s Ladzab Tomodachi International Airport is yet to have regular international flights, with all international travel requiring connecting through POM.
PNG’s 22 airports underwent significant upgrades between 2009 to 2025, thanks to the Asian Development Bank’s Civil Aviation Development Investment Program (CADIP). The ADB provided US$461 million in three tranches, supported by an additional US$90 million in funding from the PNG Government. The program focused on making the airports more efficient and included the construction of all-weather runways that allow planes to take off and land safely during extreme weather.
In a separate project, the K692 million redevelopment of Lae’s Nadzab Airport was completed in late 2023. The redevelopment was jointly funded by the PNG Government and the Japan International Cooperation Agency. The construction was led by Japanese contractor Dai Nippon-Nippo Joint Venture. The redevelopment included a new terminal for domestic and international flights (although it currently only offers domestic flights), as well as an upgrade of runways to enable big jets such as the wide-bodied Boeing B777-200 to be able to land at the airport.
PNG’s 22 major airports are:
| Southern Region | Highlands Region | Momase Region | Islands Region |
| Jacksons International – Port Moresby (POM) | Kagamuga – Mount Hagen, Western Highlands (HGU) | Nadzab – Lae (LAE) | Tokua – Rabaul, East New Britain (RAB) |
| Gurney – Alotau, Milne Bay Province (GUR) | Goroka, Eastern Highlands (GKA) | Madang, Madang Province (MAG) | Hoskins, West New Britain (HKN) |
| Girua – Popondetta, Oro (PNP) | Mendi, Southern Highlands (MDU) | Wewak, East Sepik (WWK) | Kavieng, New Ireland (KVG) |
| Daru, Western Province (DAU) | Wapenamanda, Enga (WBM) | Vanimo, Sandaun (VAI) | Momote, Manus (MAS) |
| Kiunga, Western Province (UNG) | Tari, Hela (TIZ) | Buka, Bougainville (BUA) | |
| Kerema, Gulf Province (KMA) | Kundiawa, Chimbu (CMU) | Aropa – Kieta, Bougainville (KIE) |
Airlines
PNG’s national airline is Air Niugini Limited (ANL), a state-owned enterprise held under the auspices of Kumul Consolidated Holdings (formerly the IPBC).
ANL and its low-cost subsidiary Link PNG provide the bulk of the country’s domestic air services. ANL also has a codeshare arrangement with Australian carrier Qantas. The subsidiary Link PNG was created in 2014 to meet ANL’s community service obligations to remote and distant communities.
ANL operates flights between POM and several international destinations, including Brisbane, Cairns, Sydney, Hong Kong, Manila, Singapore, Honiara, Port Vila and Nadi. At time of writing, it had plans to resume flights to Tokyo and Auckland in 2026.
In 2025, Air Niugini received three new Airbus A220-300 planes as part of a major re-fleeting program. It is expecting to receive an additional eight A220-100 aircraft, allowing it to gradually phase out its existing Fokker fleet and leased Boeing 737 aircraft.
Air Niugini’s main competitor in the domestic market is PNGX-listed PNG Air (formerly known as Airlines PNG until the company rebranded during 2015). PNG Air has a codeshare agreement with Virgin Australia.
Australia’s Qantas flies into PNG from Brisbane and Sydney, while Philippine Airlines flies from Manila and China Southern Airlines flies from Guangzhou.
In addition, several smaller companies offer charter flight and/or helicopter services to the mining and petroleum sectors, tourists and the general business traveller. These companies include Tropicair, Heli Niugini, Hevilift and MAF International.
Further information
