‘We’re always looking for opportunities’: Air Niugini’s new CEO on his first items of business
Alan Milne was appointed to his second term as CEO of Air Niugini in early 2026, following a previous stint in 2018-2020. In this interview with Business Advantage PNG, Milne speaks about changing market conditions and plans for more planes and new routes, as well as a pending new corporate strategy.
Air Niugini CEO Alan Milne. Credit: Air Niugini
Q
You’re back in the job after a period away. What are some of the first things you have done since returning?
A
To have the opportunity to come back has just been fantastic. So, what I have jumped straight back into are the re-fleet programs. The A220s have arrived, now we need to look at the other end of the fleet – the wide-body replacement and the turbo props. What are we going to do there?
The focus is very much on the fleet and very much on the stabilisation of the operation.
“We are working very closely with the [NRL’s] Chiefs about the opportunities for Air Niugini and the Chiefs.”
Q
What are the current market conditions for the airline industry? And how is the supply of jet fuel?
A
Perhaps unusually, with the fuel price change, people are still travelling. We haven’t raised our domestic pricing at all at the moment; we have put some additional pricing on international flights, but not much. So, volumes are the same and we are getting just as many people travelling.
Q
Obviously jet fuel is more expensive than you would like, but how is the supply?
A
We’ve had a good supply on shore. The suppliers already had stock, so you’re right it’s not a volumetry issue, it’s just a pricing issue.
Due to the Marape government’s support and subsidies we have been able to keep the price at standard in PNG, however the international-sourced fuel has doubled in price, so it’s a big impact.
Q
You’re about to launch a new route to Japan. What’s driving that decision and what other routes are you looking at?
A
An airline network is never set in concrete. We’re always looking for opportunities, but also if a route is not performing, we are asking what can we do to improve that?
Japan is a great opportunity for us. It is a sector we used to fly, and we are looking forward to getting back. Our forward sales are good, we’ve got great engagement with the Japanese government, and they are really keen for us to establish that. With the new [Papua] LNG project coming online, that’s also going to help connectivity between PNG and Japan.
We are always looking at new opportunities and especially now for our new aircraft, the A220-300. It’s a fuel-efficient aircraft, comfortable for our customers and of course super reliable.
Q
There is a lot of excitement building for the entry of the PNG Chiefs into Australia’s National Rugby League in 2028. What sort of opportunities does that present to the airline?
A
It’s a wonderful opportunity, not just for Air Niugini, but PNG as well. A lot of the interaction I’ve had so far with external parties is that they are saying “we may come to PNG to watch a game of footy.” And I thought, that’s what it is, it’s an excuse for Australians to come to PNG that they might not have had before.
We are working very closely with the Chiefs about the opportunities there are for Air Niugini and the Chiefs; not just bringing people into PNG but taking Papua New Guineans out to Australia to watch their home team play.
Q
Air Niugini has a corporate plan pending. Can you give us a taste of where the airline is looking to move?
A
It’s a reasonably aggressive plan from a growth perspective, but it’s also about stabilisation and making sure we can fly the schedule we sell safely and reliably, and to the service standard our customers expect.
Air Niugini is the national carrier, and we want every Papua New Guinean to be proud of that bird of paradise on the tail.
This is an edited version of our interview with Alan Milne. The full version will appear in the August-October edition of Paradise, the in-flight magazine of Air Niugini.
