The K76.8 million upgrade of Gurney Airport in Milne Bay has been completed and officially opened, with Prime Minister James Marape declaring the facility a potential gateway to the country’s tourism future and setting a long-term goal of direct international flights into the province.
The opening marks a major delivery under the PANGU-led Government’s Civil Aviation Development Investment Programme Phase II (CADIP II), despite continued criticism that the Government has delivered little since taking office in 2019.
PM Marape said in a statement last Friday that, the completion of Gurney Airport demonstrated that the Government had been working on major infrastructure projects that would create the foundations for economic growth, jobs and new opportunities for Papua New Guineans.
“This airport is an investment in our people and in the future of our economy,” PM Marape said.
“I want Gurney Airport to become Papua New Guinea’s first dedicated tourism airport, bringing international visitors directly into one of the most beautiful and culturally diverse provinces in our nation.”
Speaking at the official opening in Alotau last Friday, 21st August, PM Marape said the airport was about more than aviation infrastructure and would help unlock Milne Bay’s enormous tourism potential.
“I am pleased that since we launched this project here on 24 May 2024, Gurney Airport has now been completed and officially opened,” he said.
PM Marape said CADIP II was one of the PANGU-led Government’s signature national infrastructure programmes and was transforming aviation infrastructure across the country.
Alongside Gurney, major airport upgrades are progressing at Aropa, Wewak, Kiunga and Hoskins, while rural airstrips such as Palmalmal are also being upgraded.
The programme is also investing in aviation safety systems, weather services, navigation equipment and other critical infrastructure to make air travel safer and more reliable.
PM Marape announced that the Government would now work with the National Airports Corporation, Civil Aviation Safety Authority, Immigration, Customs and other aviation agencies to prepare Gurney Airport for international operations.
He said the long-term objective was to establish direct flights from Brisbane, allowing international visitors to combine air travel with cruise tourism through the Milne Bay islands.
“We want tourists to fly directly into Milne Bay, experience our spectacular islands, culture and marine environment, then travel through the province and on to Port Moresby, or vice versa. This is the tourism corridor we are building,” he said.
PM Marape said Milne Bay had all the ingredients necessary to become a world-class tourism destination.
“Australia sends millions of tourists overseas every year. Milne Bay alone has 38 distinct cultures, world-renowned diving, beautiful islands, rich history and some of the friendliest people anywhere in the Pacific.
“Our greatest resource is not gold or timber—it is our people, our culture and our natural environment.”
He encouraged customary landowners to register their land, retain ownership and develop locally owned tourism businesses instead of selling customary land.
“I do not want our people selling their land. Register it, keep ownership, and use it to build guest houses, eco-lodges and tourism enterprises.
“Working with the National Development Bank, we want local people to access finance and become tourism entrepreneurs, ensuring tourism income stays with local communities.”
PM Marape said international visitors could spend thousands of dollars during their stay, creating opportunities for local businesses, accommodation providers, transport operators, cultural groups and artisans.
“If Milne Bay attracts just 20,000 visitors annually, the economic benefits flowing into this province will be substantial. That is why we are investing in infrastructure first—to create opportunities for our people,” he said.
He also reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to completing the road linking Port Moresby to Alotau, creating a continuous tourism corridor from Central Province through to East Cape.
PM Marape said visitors would eventually be able to fly into Port Moresby, travel through the scenic coastal corridor to Milne Bay and depart internationally from Gurney Airport or arrive in Alotau and travel in the opposite direction.
“This is long-term planning for the next 50 years of Papua New Guinea,” he said.
PM Marape praised the Asian Development Bank for its decades-long partnership with PNG and described it as one of the country’s most reliable development partners.
“ADB stood with Papua New Guinea during some of our most difficult economic periods and continues to support transformational investments like this.
“This airport was financed through highly concessional lending because borrowing responsibly to build productive economic infrastructure is an investment—not a liability,” he said.
PM Marape commended the National Airports Corporation, Civil Aviation Ministry, Civil Aviation Safety Authority, National Weather Service, other aviation agencies and China Railway Construction Engineering Group for delivering the project.
He called on Milne Bay residents to protect law and order and preserve the province’s reputation, saying tourism would only flourish in a peaceful and welcoming environment.
“I cannot create every job directly, but Government can create the conditions for jobs to grow.
“This airport is one of those conditions”.
“I ask the people of Milne Bay to take ownership of your future, protect your province, preserve your culture and work together so that tourism becomes a lasting source of prosperity for generations to come.”
PM Marape said he looked forward to returning to Milne Bay for the first international flight to land at Gurney Airport.
“I look forward to returning on that first international service. Together, we are opening a new chapter for Milne Bay and for Papua New Guinea’s tourism industry.”