Papua New Guinea has strengthened its commitment to aviation safety, governance and international compliance with the swearing-in of a new Civil Aviation Safety Authority of Papua New Guinea (CASA PNG) Board of Directors, as the country continues efforts to position itself among the leading aviation regulators in the Asia-Pacific region.
Speaking at the CASA PNG Board swearing-in ceremony held at Airways Hotel in Port Moresby on May 5, Minister for Civil Aviation Hon. Wake Goi MP said the aviation sector remains critical to PNG’s socioeconomic development, supporting domestic and international transportation, service delivery, business activities, trade and investment.
The Minister said the country’s aviation industry plays an important role in supporting the Marape–Rosso Government’s economic agenda, particularly under the Medium Term Development Plan IV (MTDP IV) through Strategic Priority Area 2, Connect PNG – Air Transport, and Strategic Priority Area 10, Climate Change and Natural Environment Protection.
He said the Government aims to support national efforts to grow the country’s Gross Domestic Product by K164 billion towards the 2030 target of K200 billion, with aviation identified as a priority sector in achieving that goal.
“As Minister responsible for Civil Aviation, I am honoured to be part of this occasion to witness the swearing-in of the new Civil Aviation Safety Authority of Papua New Guinea Board of Directors,” Minister Goi said.
As a signatory to the Chicago Convention and a member of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), PNG must continue complying with ICAO standards, recommended practices and strategic objectives, the Minister said.
He also highlighted several major achievements recorded by PNG’s aviation sector over the past 12 months, including significant improvements in international safety and security oversight ratings.
PNG’s Effective Implementation Score under the ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) increased from 60.7 percent to 80.5 percent, making PNG the leading Pacific Small Island Developing State and placing it among the top 13 countries in the Asia-Pacific region out of 39 ICAO Asia-Pacific member states.
The country also improved its Effective Implementation Score under the ICAO Universal Security Audit Programme (USAP) from 35.6 percent to 62.9 percent.
Further strengthening its international standing, Minister Goi said PNG was formally accepted as a member of the Safety Management International Collaboration Group (SM-ICG), a global forum comprising leading aviation authorities including the United States Federal Aviation Administration, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, and national aviation authorities from Singapore, Australia and New Zealand, with ICAO serving as a permanent observer.
Papua New Guinea is currently the only Pacific state represented in the group.
The Minister also acknowledged CASA PNG’s operational and governance achievements, including the successful completion of the 2025 ISO 9001 Surveillance Audit with zero findings, demonstrating the strength of the organisation’s systems and processes.
In governance and public finance management, CASA PNG achieved the highest score in the Agency Financial and Governance Assessment Scorecard during the inaugural Pacific Internal Auditors Conference in November 2025, making it the top-performing and most compliant public agency assessed.
Despite these achievements, Minister Goi said efforts were continuing to address remaining deficiencies and further improve PNG’s international audit scores under both the USOAP and USAP programmes.
He described the appointment of the new board as timely, saying it would provide strategic direction, oversight and governance support to ensure CASA PNG continued delivering on its mandate with integrity, discipline and results.
The Minister said the Government was confident the new board would build on the existing strengths within CASA PNG and help advance the country’s aviation sector further.
The newly sworn-in CASA PNG Board comprises Taono Vai as Chairman, Peter Pato as Deputy Chairman, Shelley Launa as Board Member, and Peter Kamong as Board Member. The appointments are expected to strengthen governance, strategic oversight and institutional leadership within Papua New Guinea’s civil aviation regulatory authority.
During the ceremony, Minister Goi congratulated Mr Taono Vai on his appointment as Chairman of the CASA PNG Board, Mr Peter Pato as Deputy Chairman, and Ms Shelley Launa and Mr Peter Kamong as independent directors.
He reminded board members of their responsibility to act in the best interests of the institution, the Government and the people of PNG.
“I trust that you will discharge your duties with integrity, diligence and an unwavering commitment to good governance and accountability,” he said.
Minister Goi reaffirmed the Marape–Rosso Government’s commitment to strengthening aviation safety, security and oversight in line with international best practices to ensure a safe, secure and resilient aviation sector for PNG.
