Papua New Guinean domestic charter operator Air Sanga (Port Moresby) has added its first Beech 1900D on a lease-purchase agreement from South African lessor NAC Charter (NTN, Johannesburg Lanseria) to meet anticipated travel demand over the Festive Season and aims to acquire more by year-end, Smart Aviation Asia Pacific reported.
According to Air Sanga's marketing executive, Peter Karu, the aircraft had already arrived in Papua New Guinea's capital Port Moresby and was expected to begin commercial operations soon. Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows NAC's Beech 1900D, ZS-SEM (msn UE-91), has been on the tarmac at Port Moresby since October 18. The aircraft left Johannesburg Lanseria on October 12 and routed via Lilongwe International (Malawi), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Mahé (Seychelles), Gan Island (Maldives), Hambantota (Sri Lanka), Medan Kuala Namu (Indonesia), Kuala Lumpur Subang and Kuching (Malaysia), Manado and Biak (Indonesia) to Port Moresby. The aircraft details were confirmed to ch-aviation by an NAC spokesperson in Johannesburg.
"The first 1900D in our fleet is just a starting point. We are looking to add two more at the end of the year and maybe three more in the future," Karu said, adding that expansion hinged on travel demand and the easing of COVID-19 restrictions. The privately-owned company primarily serves the domestic market, providing chartered freight and passenger services.
"The new aircraft will fly to the more prominent destinations such as the Highlands, Momase, and the southern islands," he explained.
The company's other aircraft, a Pacific Aerospace P-750 and DHC-6-200 Twin Otter P2-ASL (msn 219), will continue to fly underserved rural routes. Another DHC-6-300 Twin Otter, P2-ASM (msn 389), is currently on repair, the ch-aviation fleets model shows, while Karu said the company's Cessna (single turboprop) 206 was presently stored.
Karu said the company expected increased demand from November and over the Festive Season: "There is indeed demand for domestic travel and freight services, particularly during the Christmas holiday season. The new 1900D will help to facilitate this increase in passenger and cargo volume," he said.
