Engineers return to PNG
Ten young Air Niugini engineers, including two women, have returned to Papua New Guinea with their aircraft maintenance engineer (AME) certificates after completing a four-year engineering cadet program in New Zealand and Australia.
The cadets studied at the Air New Zealand Training Institute, in Christchurch, and with Aviation Australia at the Cairns Aviation Skills Centre.
They include Elena Mai, Lyndah Eremas, Kelvin Piongats, Gavin Eron, Ronald Kayoka, Raphael Vagi, Robstoan Gare Eremugo, Nathan Poy Ulastone, Damien Kadiko and Solomon Kawage.
The program was fully funded by Air Niugini, at a cost of more than PGK5 million.
Air Niugini chief executive officer, Simon Foo, congratulated the AMEs and said Air Niugini invests millions of kina towards staff training annually.
He said the achievement by the cadets is a bonus for Air Niugini because the airline is in the process of building its own maintenance, repair and overhaul facility in Port Moresby.
“Having our own hangar will allow the employees to continue their training and build their experiences here in Papua New Guinea. It also cuts down on the huge costs that we currently incur sending our planes overseas for overhauls and maintenance.”
Air Niugini has 37 cadet engineers in various stages of the program, six are women. ■