PNG Air's Fleet Refresh Get Underway, ATR72 Ferries In

By Andrew Curran.

PNG Air has received the first of four ATR72-600s due to arrive at the airline before the end of the year.

P2-ATX (msn 1149) landed in Port Moresby (POM) on October 21, 2025, having taken seven days to ferry out from Toulouse (QYF). The aircraft flew via Malta (MLA), Cairo (CAI), Dubai (DWC), Hyderabad (HYD), Bangkok (DMK), Surabaya (SUB0, and Darwin (DRW).

It began revenue operations for PNG Air on October 24, operating two round-trips between Port Moresby and Mount Hagen (HGU).

The airline says the 11.5-year-old aircraft leased from ACIA Aero Leasing will improve regional connectivity. “This milestone reflects more than just a fleet expansion it represents PNG Air’s renewed commitment to sustainable growth, development, and safe air travel across our nation,” said PNG Air CEO Brian Fraser.

Before arriving at PNG Air, P2-ATX operated for Garuda Indonesia between 2014 and 2024, although that airline put the plane into a storage program at Soekarno Hatta Airport between 2019 and 2024.

P2-ATX is PNG Air’s seventh ATR72-600. Aside from the other three due later this year, a further three are expected after that. The airline will use P2-ATX and the other incoming ATRs to replace its five DHC-8-100s, which are aged between 35 and 41 years.

“Our plan is to phase them out no later than February next year,” Fraser told The National newspaper. He said it was becoming increasingly hard to find parts and components for the Dash 8s, as well as qualified people to fly and service them.

With the DHC-8-100s gone, PNG Air will exclusively operate ATR72s.

“We’re rationalising and modernising our fleet,” said Fraser. “We want to take advantage of the economic growth that we are going to be seeing.”

Photo: PNG Air.