Air Niugini receives international airline licence for New Zealand operations
Air Niugini received (09-Nov-2026) an international airline licence for New Zealand operations from Papua New Guinea's Department of Transport, facilitating the carrier's return to New Zealand after 26 years. Air Niugini plans to commence three times weekly Port Moresby-Auckland service with Boeing 737-800 on 17-Nov-2026. The carrier plans to later deploy A220-300 equipment on the route. CEO Alan Milne stated: "New Zealand is an excellent addition to our network and complements Air Niugini's hub-and-spoke strategy through Port Moresby. The service will strengthen links between Auckland, Papua New Guinea, Australia's east coast, and destinations throughout the Pacific and Asia, offering greater travel options for both business and leisure customers". [more - original PR]
Background ✨
Air Niugini previously outlined plans to resume three times weekly Port Moresby-Auckland from 17-Nov-2026 with Boeing 737-800s, with A220 deployment planned from 2027.1 The carrier also resumed twice weekly Port Moresby-Tokyo Narita on 18-Jul-2026, operated by a mix of Boeing 767-300ER and 737-800 equipment, after last operating the route in 2020.2 3