Despite ban, air travellers from India land in Papua New Guinea

 News that matter in Papua New Guinea

Despite ban, air travellers from India land in Papua New Guinea

PORT MORESBY: The Papua New Guinea (PNG) Government had in April banned all flights from India to protect Papua New Guineans from the highly infectious Coronavirus (Covid-19) Delta variant.

Despite the ban, 73 air passengers from India were allowed to disembark in Jackson International Airport on Thursday (Aug 19, 2021).

Details of the shock arrival were reported by The National:

‘Illegal’ travellers from India

August 24, 2021The NationalMain Stories

By MIRIAM ZARRIGA and PETER ESILA
THE Papua New Guinea (PNG) Government is scrambling to determine how Garuda Indonesia Flight GA-7610 that stopped over at about 6pm at Jackson International Airport on Thursday ferried more than the number of approved passengers from India, a country ravaged by the highly infectious Coronavirus (Covid-19) Delta variant.
Transport Minister William Samb told The National yesterday that the Garuda jet arrived from India via Indonesia (Jakarta) had more passengers than the number that was advised by his department.
“The PNG Covid-19 National Pandemic Response Controller David Manning had approved only 42 passengers.”
“However, as the flight was in the air after taking off from India, we were told there were more than 70 passengers on board.
“They were in the air from India when we were informed of the passenger manifest. We were working around the clock to ensure that when they got to Indonesia, they would deal with the numbers.”
Samb said the jet originated from India to Jakarta and then to Port Moresby and based on PNG’s Covid-19 quarantine capability, “we advised the National Control Centre (NCC) to allow only 42 passengers embark Port Moresby.
“However, there was an increased number of passengers, from 42 to more than 70. With the increase in passengers, as soon as the flight landed in Jakarta, all passengers had to go through Covid-19 test requirements,” he said.
“So we were advised on the increased number of passengers and there were discussions with Foreign Affairs and it was decided to cater for the increase because that number included Papua New Guineans, India High Commission in PNG staff and Indian expatriates working in PNG.
“We worked round the clock to facilitate the extra passengers wanting to disembark. We carried out the usual checks to accommodate them. The rest of the passengers were allowed to continue with their journey to Fiji.”
Samb said his department was told that 70 plus passengers disembarked at Jackson International Airport. In light of what happened, Samb said strong measures must be in place to not allow such an incident to recur.
“We must make sure that originating destinations are in compliance with the country’s quarantine and Covid-19 conditions,” he said.
Meanwhile, National Airports Corporation (NAC) acting managing director and chief executive officer Rex Kiponge said NAC’s role was only to facilitate regular public transport (RPT) flights.
“We do not make decisions to bring in aircraft, we only facilitate. RPT flights are scheduled (commercial) flights like Air Niugini, PNG Air and international flights. The non-RPT are unscheduled flights, so they get approval from the Transport Department. And now, due to Covid-19, approvals also come from the controller as well,” he said.
Kiponge said all international passengers who disembarked in Port Moresby were subjected to the Trakpro team for inbound testing and must undergo the mandatory 21-day quarantine period in designated hotels.
According to the National Control Centre approval document, the controller had on Aug 18 approved the Indonesian Embassy in PNG’s July 28 application for a diplomatic approval of the Garuda aircraft for landing as part of an international repatriation flight, both inbound and outbound operations in PNG air space.
The approval stated that the passengers comprised Indian nationals, Indonesians, Papua New Guineans and Fijians.
At press time, The National was still unable to reach controller and Police Comm Manning to clarify whether the ban on flights originating from India had been lifted.
The ban was announced in April after the Delta variant pandemic broke out in India, which is still battling to contain the disease.

 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Growing unemployment rate in Papua New Guinea

Image
News that matter in Papua New Guinea Growing unemployment rate in Papua New Guinea (Employment stagnant since 2014) PORT MORESBY: Employment in Papua New Guinea (PNG) has remained stagnant since 2014 with millions of unemployed looking for jobs. The formal job market currently can only accommodate between 400,000 and 500,000, Institute of National Affairs executive director Paul Barker says. “As more young people enter the job market this year after graduating from tertiary institutions and schools, the chances of securing formal employment is slim. “Employment had remained stagnant despite the increase in potential workers coming out of educations institutions,” he added. Read on for more details as published by The National : Hard to get jobs January 27, 2022 The National Main Stories By DALE LUMA MILLIONS of eligible workers around the country are looking for jobs in the formal sector, which currently can ...
Read more

Sugu Valley tribal war death toll rises to at least 30

Image
News that matters in Papua New Guinea Armed tribal warriors on the move in Sugu Valley. Sugu Valley tribal war death toll rises to at least 30 PORT MORESBY: At least six tribes have been fighting in Sugu Valley (Kagua-Erave, Southern Highlands) since Feb 10, 2019, without any signs of an end and peace. In fact, the death toll has risen to at least 30, up from 11 on May 23, 2019, and the opening of a new battlefront in Sumbura near Poroma with multiple deaths reported in 24 wards. Armed tribal warriors on the march into the forests and jungles. PNG Cyber Monitor had on a May 25, 2019, posting ( https://pngcybermonitor.blogspot.com/2019/05/real-life-rifles-bows-and-arrows-bloody.html Real life rifles, bows and arrows bloody fights in PNG ) highlighted the bloody battle waged by tribal warriors armed with rifles, bows and arrows and knives. PNG Cyber Monitor is again highlighting the plight of the villagers who have been living in fear as reported by The Nationa...
Read more

Sorcery shame for Papua New Guinea in X’mas

Image
News that matter in Papua New Guinea Sorcery tortures and violence are still being practised in Papua New Guinea in this 21st Century digital era. Sorcery shame for Papua New Guinea in X’mas PORT MORESBY: It was international shame for Papua New Guinea (PNG) this Christmas when sorcery reared its ugly head. Six women were stripped, bound to poles and burnt with hot knives as they screamed in pain, watched by an unsympathetic crowd. In a video that has gone viral in the internet, the women were accused of practising sorcery in Southern’s Enga. Police Comm David Manning described the sorcery torture as vile, inhumane, uncivilised, void of any human decency. “Papua New Guinea cannot progress without letting go of these horrific traditional beliefs. We have launched an urgent probe into the incident in Aiya’s Pawayamo village in Kagua-Erave.” The news break was published by The National : Horror torture of women Decem...
Read more