Any immediate fleet replacement decisions are on hold at Air Niugini (PX, Port Moresby) following the resignation of the airline's chief executive officer, Bruce Alabaster, on February 28, effective immediately. The c-suite change temporarily disrupts the airline's corporate plan, including plans to update the airline's 17 strong fleet.
As reported by ch-aviation one week before Alabaster's resignation, Air Niugini had secured the services of the Australian government to assist with technical assistance for its fleet replacement program. At the same time, the airline also said it would take a pair of B787-8s from 2026 to replace its two B767-300ERs, with one now aged 23.48 years and the other 31.48 years. The airline says it had cancelled an order for four B737-8s back in 2019, however Boeing's current list of undelivered orders shows that order is still on the manufacturer's books.
Less certain are the replacement plans for Air Niugini's sole B737-800 and fleet of Fokker 70s and Fokker 100s. Embraer recently took their E195-E2 to Port Moresby to demonstrate its suitability. "Air Niugini is going through the fleet renewal process," Embraer's Asia Pacific Commercial Vice President, Raul Villaron, told ch-aviation at the recent 2023 Avalon Air Show. "We believe the E2 is a value proposition for them because they focus flying mainly on domestic and short sectors. The E2 is unbeatable compared to the A320, it burns 10% less fuel, has longer intervals, and is the same engine on a lighter aircraft so maintenance costs are lower and navigations and weight related charges are lower."
Villaron spoke to ch-aviation just hours ahead of news breaking of Alabaster's resignation. Depending on its configuration, the E195-E2 can seat up to 132 passengers, around the same as the A220-100 and slightly less than the yet to be certified B737-7, all types which may be under consideration in Port Moresby.
Meanwhile, the board of Air Niugini Limited (ANL) has appointed Garry Seddon as interim Air Niugini CEO while a national and international search for a new CEO gets underway. ANL Chairman Kostas Constantinou publicly thanked Alabaster for his seven years of service at Air Niugini, including almost three years as CEO. Constantinou also said that he had "every faith" in Seddon's ability to provide stability during the transition period and added that despite the leadership change, the board will continue to focus on Air Niugini's medium to longer term future by pushing on with its fleet replacement program .
