PNG and Tonga ink aviation safety cooperation MOU

By Andrew Curran.

The CEO of Papua New Guinea Accident Investigation Commission (PNGAIC) says last week’s signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Tonga’s Civil Aviation Office was an important step towards strengthening regional cooperation in aviation safety investigations across the Pacific.

“Aviation safety is a shared responsibility, and given the geographical, operational and resource challenges faced by many Pacific Island countries, collaboration and the sharing of expertise are essential to building a stronger and more resilient regional aviation safety framework,” PNGAIC CEO Raymond Vai told Aero South Pacific.

The MOU was signed in Port Moresby on October 28 during a visit to Papua New Guinea by Tonga’s Minister for Infrastructure, Tevita Fatafehi Puloka, and his Papua New Guinean counterpart, Douglas Tomuriesa, Minister for Civil Aviation.

According to Vai, the MOU gives both countries a practical framework for cooperation, particularly in aviation occurrence investigations, technical expertise, investigator development, training, information sharing and mutual assistance.

“These types of collaborative arrangements are aimed at providing an avenue for our neighbouring Pacific Islands to draw on established capabilities and experience to strengthen investigative capacity and support the effective implementation of international standards and recommended practices under ICAO Annex 13,” he said.

Papua New Guinea's Accident Investigation Commission seeks a bigger aviation safety role

Alongside Australia’s Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) and New Zealand’s Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC), the PNGAIC is one of the Southwest Pacific’s more established and transparent aviation investigation agencies. It has three active local investigations under way and is increasingly being called upon to lead or assist with investigations into accidents and incidents in neighbouring nations that lack the capability to investigate them independently.

Vai says the MOU is not about replacing the responsibilities of other countries. Rather, it is about strengthening their capabilities through mutual support, knowledge transfer and access to specialised expertise when required.

“We see this MOU as part of a wider vision for the PNGAIC to play a more active and meaningful role in advancing aviation safety across the Pacific,” Vai said.

“Over the years, the Commission has developed considerable technical and investigative experience, including conducting investigations, supporting other States and building specialised capabilities in areas such as flight recorder data recovery and analysis, human factors and safety investigation methodologies,” he added.”

“We believe that the Pacific region would benefit significantly from greater cooperation between its aviation safety investigation bodies. Not every Pacific Island State has the resources or specialist expertise to independently maintain all the capabilities required for complex aviation investigations. Through strategic partnerships, we can bridge some of these gaps, build confidence in national investigation systems and ensure that safety lessons identified through investigations are shared more widely across the region.”

PNG and Tonga heavily reliant on aviation

At the MOU signing ceremony, Puloka emphasised the importance of aviation to Tonga, which is geographically more remote than Papua New Guinea, although PNG is also heavily reliant on aviation for domestic transport.

Puloka described aviation as “a lifeline connecting its islands, communities and people, while supporting economic development and tourism”.

The minister said the MOU added to Tonga’s ongoing progress in strengthening its national aviation safety framework, including the completion of its first aircraft accident investigation conducted in accordance with ICAO Annex 13.

Puloka said the partnership with the PNGAIC also supported Tonga’s commitment to the Tonga Strategic Development Framework 2035, the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and ICAO’s No Country Left Behind initiative.

Vai says he wants his agency to become a stronger regional partner and centre of investigative expertise, contributing meaningfully to aviation safety outcomes beyond Papua New Guinea’s borders.

“We see the MOU with Tonga as a practical starting point and hope it will encourage similar partnerships with other Pacific Island States,” he said.

“Aviation accidents and serious incidents do not recognise national boundaries, and neither should our commitment to learning from them. By working together, we can strengthen our collective ability to investigate occurrences, identify safety risks and prevent future accidents.”

Photo: Tongan Ministry of Infrastructure
Contact the writer: andrew@aerosouthpacific.com