PNG Air: The Plan to Return to Profit by Betting on Mining Charters and ATRs

History and positioning

The recovery plan rests on a deliberate strategy: adding to the scheduled passenger network a growing volume of charters for the mining and extractive companies active in remote areas of Papua New Guinea, a segment that offers more predictable, contracted revenue than ordinary passenger traffic.

The fleet

The current fleet includes nine ATR72-600s, one ATR72-600C that can also be configured for cargo and two ATR42-600s, with another six ATR42-600s on the way through direct orders and leasing contracts until September 2026. In parallel, all nine DHC-8-100s still in the fleet have been classified as held for sale, with the aim of completing the disposal by the first half of 2026.

Routes and network

The rebuilt domestic network covers 22 airports across the country, including destinations such as Goroka, Mount Hagen, Lae, Hoskins and Tari, in addition, of course, to the Port Moresby hub.

What passengers say

• In 2025 charter revenue exceeded that from scheduled passenger traffic, confirming the strategic direction the company has chosen toward a model more oriented to the extractive sector.
• On the rebuilt passenger network, regular travelers report a service that is stabilizing after the company's years of financial difficulty.

PNG Air is useful for those who need to reach the regional cities of Papua New Guinea covered by the rebuilt ATR network, in a context where the airline is still completing its internal restructuring. It is less predictable for those planning trips on minor routes, since the network is still being consolidated toward the 2028 profitability target.

Always check the aircraft type assigned to your route before departing: with the gradual phase-out of the DHC-8s in favor of the ATRs, the schedules of some minor routes may change at short notice in the coming months.