Australia helping make Papua New Guinea skies safer

Airservices Australia Chief Executive, Greg Russell, said the simulator will help Papua New Guinea improve the safety and reliability of its air services. Air travel is a crucial lifeline in Papua New Guinea and it is important to ensure the PNG airways system is as safe as possible, Mr Russell said. I welcome this opportunity for Australia to demonstrate its support for the PNG Government in its efforts to improve aviation safety. The PC Sim equipment was developed by Airservices and is identical to that used by Airservices and will enhance operational co-operation between Australia and PNG, which share an international flight information region boundary. The project worth $398,000 was funded through the AusAID PNG Australia Transport Sector Support Program. Under the project Papua New Guinea Air Services Limited (PNGASL), the PNG air navigation services provider, has received a training simulator with four air traffic control consoles, six pilot workstations, a test platform and an exercise development platform. PNGASL Board Chairman, Ted Pakii, commissioned the new simulator in Port Moresby this afternoon accompanied by Australias High Commissioner to PNG, His Excellency, Chris Moraitis and Airservices CEO, Greg Russell. The delivery of the PC Sim equipment follows several weeks of advanced training delivered to senior PNG air traffic control staff at the Airservices Learning Academy in Melbourne. These staff will now take those skills back to PNG and pass them on to their colleagues, providing PNG with the capability to train its own air traffic services staff.