Air Niugini flies seven aircraft types. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Alan Milne plans to cut that to three, a move he told Exepreneur will set the national carrier up for the next 20 to 25 years.

Milne returned to lead Papua New Guinea’s airline in early 2026, after serving as Managing Director from 2018 to 2020.

He has restarted Higher Altitudes, the cost and revenue program he ran in his first tenure, as new Airbus A220 jets begin replacing the Fokker fleet and plans take shape for the turboprop, 737 and 767 replacements.

Milne says the war in the Gulf has doubled the fuel price, hitting international ports hardest, and the state-owned carrier is absorbing the increase instead of raising fares.

His strategy runs past passenger seats: routing Pacific and Australian traffic through Port Moresby to Tokyo, Manila, Hong Kong and Singapore, selling heavy maintenance checks to carriers like Solomon Airlines and Air Vanuatu, and growing cargo. New routes must be profitable, he says. The next 12 months, in Milne’s words, are about cutting costs and building a leaner airline.

A qualified engineer and pilot with 44 years’ experience, he says he will not leave until the fleet plan is locked in and half delivered.