The re-opening of Aropa Airport at Kieta on Bougainville is another vital part of Papua New Guinea’s national infrastructure that will create new opportunities, according to Prime Minister Peter O’Neill.

Prime Minister Peter O’Neill (L) with Bougainville President, Dr John Momis. Credit: Rocky Roe

Three airlines—Air Niugini, Airlines PNG and Travel Air—made their maiden flights to Aropa Airport on Friday 12 December, 24 years after being shut down due to the Bougainville crisis.

Speaking at the re-opening ceremony on Friday, 12 December, O’Neill said it was ‘a beautiful day’ for Bougainville and the country.

He commended the National Airports Corporation, Air Niugini, Airlines PNG and Travel Air for their efforts and support for the reopening of Aropa.

Since the closure of Aropa Airport, people in South Bougainville and the surrounding areas had to travel long distances to get to Buka Airport for their travel needs.

More than 10,000 Bougainvillleans, government ministers and members of the Autonomous Bougainville Government witnessed the ceremony.

The chief executive of Air Niugini, Simon Foo, said since the closure of Aropa Airport, people in South Bougainville and the surrounding areas had had to travel long distances to get to Buka Airport for their travel needs.

‘The resumption of Air Niugini services will greatly help the people of Buin, Panguna, Torokina, Wakunai and others who now have easy access for their air travel needs as they do not have to travel all the way to Buka to get on an aircraft,’ he said.

To commemorate the significance of the reopening, Air Niugini named one of its Dash 8-Q400 aircraft Kieta.

Solomon Islands service

Talks are also underway to begin flights between Solomon Islands and Bougainville.

Operations manager for Solomon Airlines, Gus Kraus, says his airline had actually set up an office in 1989 at Aropa and is looking to do so again.

‘We are looking at the airport in terms of the future prospects of launching Dash 8 services to and from Honiara, maybe via Munda, if we get a decent terminal built there,’ he said.

Bougainville will move its clocks forward by one hour on 28^th December 2014.

‘Of course the major issues are always about customs, immigration and quarantine, man power and facilities and also about security.’

The redevelopment cost of the Aropa airport and terminal is estimated to be around K18.2 million.

New Bougainville Time Zone

Bougainville will move its clocks forward by one hour on 28 December 2014.

The new time zone, to be known as Bougainville Standard Time (BST), was approved by the Bougainville House of Representatives, and will put Bougainville one hour ahead of the rest of Papua New Guinea.

The change will happen at 0200 hours on 28^th December 2014, when all clocks in the Bougainville region will move forward to 0300 hours.