Photo: PNG Air 35th Anniversary Launching
One of Papua New Guinea’s Leading Airlines PNG Air has marked and is celebrating 2022 as its 35th anniversary year. PNG Air has been taking Papua New Guinea and Papua New Guineans to their destinations since its initial beginnings as Milne Bay Airlines (MBA) right through to the airlines transition to PNG Air for 35 years.
The Airline’s history dates back to the late 80’s in the beautiful Island Province of Milne bay. The company was established and started operations on June 30th 1987 as Milne Bay Airlines (MBA) by founder Sir John Wild who was a naturalized citizen of Papua New Guinea and an architect. Sir John Wild was also an avid and passionate aviator who owned an Amphibian aircraft which he was asked to provide a service to fly to and from the remotest and far-fetched parts of the islands in the Milne Bay province.
Now as the Airline Company looks ahead and celebrates 35 years of service to Papua New Guineans it also reflects on the tale of how a humble airline company which started off with an amphibious aircraft in Milne Bay Province became a fully-fledged national carrier flying over 500,000 passengers a year.
It’s a story of innovation – 35 years ago PNG Air began its Journey when some of their first flights flew around the scattered Islands of Milne Bay under the Milne bay Airlines (MBA) Brand to operating as one of PNG's leading Airline carrier today.
In the years that followed after MBA's establishment the airline underwent its first major rebrand from Milne Bay Airlines to Milne Bay Airlines of PNG to focus on new opportunities which also included chartered flights for the Country's resource sector.
In 2001 the Airline was renamed to Airlines PNG boasting a fleet of 26 Aircrafts signifying a new era for the company's future as it grew to be regarded as the people's airline, providing affordable and value airfares. Within that period PNG Air also transitioned into a public company when entering the Port Moresby stock exchange. Since then it has been governed by seasoned and experienced Board of Directors.
Eventually after 14 years as a fully-fledged commuter Airline the company signed a contract to acquire seven ATR 72-600 series aircrafts which gave way to the rebranding and launch of the company to PNG Air on November 5th 2015.
As PNG Air embarks on the beginning of its next endeavors in conjunction with the anniversary the company's Chief Commercial Officer Mr. Simon C Pitt said, “To commemorate this Milestone we've commissioned a special 35th anniversary Logo that will set the benchmark for all the activities we plan to do this year. The Logo is a representation of all the distinct elements of our livery, represented through the bird of Paradise".
Over the past three and a half decades, PNG Air has grown from a small airline company to one that has thrust its way out across the whole of Papua New Guinea. Throughout it all, PNG Air’s enduring purpose has been to connect customers to the people, places, and experiences they love the most.
