” Chris Dwyer of CNN recently named 12 airlines as having the best aircraft liveries in the world. Among those that were listed, PNG Air has made the cut.

Congratulations to PNG Air.  This is a brief spontaneous account of one Bougainvillean passenger on PNG Air service when the Airline commenced its service to Bougainville. The passenger was on the short flight from Buka to Kieta. ”

For further information about PNG Air and PokPok Island / Urana Bay Retreat Tours Accommodation contact Zhon at Bougainville Experience Tours

BUKA- KIETA PNGAir Flt.

We lifted off Buka airport at 7:38 am BST. The dew on the grass had hardly dried when we lifted off. Who cares, today I’m traveling by air not on land.

Once airborne the most conspicuous  eye-catcher looking left out to sea and the horizon beyond is the dim glare of the sun. The sun itself rose before our flight took off. The sun’s glares were broken up by low hanging clouds far far out at sea. Looks like this is going to be another sunny day.

The empty seascape suddenly changes as the aircraft veered slightly right on a course headed straight to Kieta. I can see looking down that the bays, cays and the quays along the east coast are well defined. 

It is easy to see this is a vastly green Island  with peninsulas snorting out to sea as the flight progresses along the east coast.

Teop Island comes into view. It looks like someone had thought it was best to anchor this Island here to add to the coastal symmetry that lacked a collection of other islands adjacent or nearby as they are further along the coast into Kieta.

The Captain has just come on the PA apologizing for the late departure from Buka. It doesn’t bother me as the flight time is mere 25 minutes compared to the bumpy and often grueling travel by road of some 3 hours or so.

Wow, down there the breaking waves against the reefs along the seashore are like white contours on a map. Out on some reefs I can see kakunibarras (lagoons) and troughs looking like bomb craters.

Before I knew the Captain announces: “cabin crew prepare for landing”. Thank you captain. I’m almost home and hose. Staring out on left below I just caught a quick glimpse of Takanupe Island with a marvelous blue lagoon. Takanupe’s lagoon is bigger than the size of the island itself.

Then Arovo and Tautsina Islands are here and we quickly pass over them. We pass over Pokpok, I quickly see the village down there. We pass over swiftly and quickly.

The aircraft nose veers downwards as the plane makes the landing approach from Koromira and the old Aropa plantation end.

“Thanking you for flying with us today, thank you and good morning” the steward announces to us in a deliberate voice repeating what they say at every landing in all ports.

As we make our approach to land at Aropa airport I’m thinking how it’d be nice to do up the Buin airstrip near Turiboiuru. It could probably take this aircraft ATR72 600 and thus extend the service to the southern region of the Island.

In a few seconds it will be touch down. The plane’s shadow has suddenly caught up with us and now rushing alongside us. The shadow will  meet the aircraft as the aircraft wheel touches down on the tarmac.

We are safely down after another short, scenic and enjoyable flight. Passing the old Toborai Plantation I can see my island home

I’ll ride into Kieta and be home in a boat in 45 minutes.

Thank you PNG Air. 

Bougainville Experience Tours Website