Multi Million Dollar Hoskins Airport Upgrade Gets Underway

An eighteen-month USD12.7 million upgrade of Hoskins Airport (HKN) in Papua New Guinea’s West New Britain province has commenced.

Works include pavement repairs, asphalt overlay, the construction of a new turning bode, refurbishment of the airport terminal building and car park, and new airfield ground lighting, among other things.

The existing 1,960-metre runway will be extended by 60 metres to accommodate B737 and A320 jets.

Air Niugini and PNG Air fly to Hoskins. Air Niugini sends DHC-8-400s to Hoskins from Port Moresby (POM) while PNG Air uses a combination of ATR72s and DHC-8-100s to link Hoskins to Lae (LAE), Port Moresby, and Rabaul (RAB). Hoskins airport serves Kimbe, the capital of West New Britain province on New Britain Island.

“This project is a timely and significant development that underscores my government’s commitment to modernising aviation infrastructure across Papua New Guinea,” said Prime Minister James Marape. “West New Britain is a critical province for our nation, a centre of agriculture, oil palm, forestry, tourism, and home to people from all regions of PNG.”

China Railway Construction Engineering Group has the construction contract, with funding coming from the Asian Development Bank. Hoskins Airport operator National Airports Corporation is managing the project.

National Airports Corporation Acting Managing Director Dominic Kaumu said the primary point of the upgrade was to improve safety and security at the airport.

The work will also extend the asphalt’s lifespan by 15 – 20 years, speed up passenger and cargo processing times, improve visibility for nighttime operations, improve facilities and commercial opportunities for airport tenants, and create more employment opportunities for local residents.

Hoskins is among five airports in Papua New Guinea being upgraded via the government’s Civil Aviation Development Project II. The other four airports include Gurney (GUR), Kiunga (UNG), Aropa (KIE), and Wewak (WWK). Work at Gurney is underway. Work at Kiunga is starting this month. Work at Aropa is at the mobilisation stage, and work at Wewak is at the procurement stage.

Photo: Asia Development Bank