Australian High Commission
Papua New Guinea

140401 - MR - New Infrastructure to Improve Safety of PNG skies

28 March 2014

New Infrastructure to improve safety of PNG skies

PNG Air Services Limited is set to modernise and update Papua New Guinea’s air traffic management system and surveillance technology.

A contract valued at US $12 million (K33 million) was awarded to COMSOFT Gmbh of Karlsruel of Germany in a ceremony today in Port Moresby to improve the level of safety across PNG skies.

PNGASL Managing Director, Captain Ted Pakii, said the project will include:

  • Complete Air Traffic Management (ATM) automation, full Air Traffic Control (ATC) and 3D tower control simulators;
  • Implementation of COMSOFT’s complete ATM system at the nation’s capital Port Moresby to enable its status as an international ATM hub;
  • Enable domestic airports of Madang, Mount Hagen, Goroka, Nazdab and Tokua to contribute to the country’s overall coverage and precise surveillance within PNG’s vast Flight Information Region (FIR); and
  • Delivery of multilateration (MLAT), a widely used navigation and surveillance technique to the capital’s main terminal area.

The new air traffic management systems will improve air traffic control in PNG and ensure that aircraft are guided safely through the sky and on the ground.

The investment will ensure PNG’s airspace is managed to accommodate the anticipated growth of air traffic in PNG over time.

Air travel is often the main travel option in PNG and rugged terrain and unpredictable weather conditions make it one of the most challenging countries in the world for pilots.

COMSOFT’s ATM automation solution, PRISMA, will deliver the main ATM system allowing a user friendly and flexible system for all data processing functions.

This includes pre-flight planning, en-route and tower control, including COMSOFT’s next generation of Surveillance Data Distribution system SDDS-NG, powerful ARTAS technology, Flight Data Processing System (FDPS), safety nets and R2D2.

COMSOFT subcontractors Micronav and Frequentis will also provide the 3D power simulator ATM, and Voice Communication systems in Port Moresby and five remote towers respectively.

The Australian Government has contributed K12.2 million towards the project through the Papua New Guinea - Australia Transport Sector Support Program (TSSP) which is working to deliver improved transport infrastructure across PNG to facilitate social development and economic growth.

The core ATM and Surveillance systems will be co-funded by the Australian Government through the TSSP and the 2013 GoPNG appropriation.
The funding is provided under a Memorandum of Agreement (2010) between Australia and PNG to support cooperation in relation to safety and security networks in the transport sector.

The Government of Papua New Guinea contributed K14.3 million in the 2013 Budget and a further K16.3 million in the 2014 Budget.

The GoPNG appropriation will be used to fund additional features including a Disaster Recovery System and a Training Simulator to develop knowledge and skills to meet competency requirements as part of PNGASL’s regulatory commitments.

Minister-Counsellor (Development Cooperation) at the Australian High Commission, James Hall, said, “This project is an important milestone in the Australian Government’s support for productivity and safety enhancing infrastructure in PNG’s aviation sector.”

Capt. Ted Pakii the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of PNG Air Services proudly says that, “Our focus is built on Safety, Service and Sustainability. Our commitment to the people of Papua New Guinea as well as the aviation industry is to provide modern equipment and systems that contribute towards achieving our vision of becoming a world class Air Navigation Service Provider.”