AIR NIUGINI DELIVERS INAUGURAL SAFETY DAY
March 27, 2024
Air Niugini’s inaugural Safety Day was hailed a success with full participation from employees to raise awareness on the importance of safety and also to recognise the unsung safety heroes, our employees who are responsible for the safe dispatch of flights and the safety of hundreds of thousands of passengers who fly Air Niugini.
Held last Friday outside the airline’s head office at 7mile, Port Moresby, the event focused on general aviation safety and security awareness for employees when they are at work and also at home.
It also allowed our employees to break the silos by facilitating genuine interactions with each other on the subject of safety.
Twelve sections representing different departments at Air Niugini set up booths and had the opportunity to educate and inform their colleagues on the different safety processes, procedures and the safety equipment at their workplace. Each department plays a crucial role in our safety-first approach to contribute and commit to excellence in aviation safety.
Air Niugini’s Acting Chief Executive officer, Mr Gary Seddon officially launched the event and highlighted safety as an uncompromised priority for Air Niugini.
“The Safety Day is a fantastic initiative established by Air Niugini employees, for Air Niugini employees . As we all know, Aviation safety and security is paramount in everything we do, our dedicated Air Niugini men and women are our priority, our valued passengers are our priority, our aircraft are our priority, safety is everything and what we do is important. We are very proud of what we achieve each day at Air Niugini creating a culture that encourages an open responsible compliant approach to safety, a first for Air Niugini,” Mr Seddon said.
The first Air Niugini Safety Day also recognised the airline’s unsung safety heroes, our employees whose safe actions and ideas that continue to contribute to the safety of Air Niugini. Those acknowledged were from Ground Operations, Engineering and Flight Operations, while Maintenance Control and Cargo were recognised for the best booth display.
There was a town hall where employees had the chance to raise safety related issues with the Acting CEO and the management, from dealing with mental health issues, to ensuring we all have the right tools for the job.
Apart from our own employees, the event also included the participation of PNG Fire Service and St John’s Ambulance PNG to inform and educate Air Niugini employees on best practice emergency response and preparedness.
The PNG Fire Services conducted drills on rescue and emergency and also on fire, showing employees how to use a fire extinguisher, an eye opener for some, who had never used a fire extinguisher before.
St John’s Ambulance covered essential first aid procedures, emergency medical response tactics and life-saving skills to prepare attendees for a variety of health-related emergencies. In addition, the Air Niugini in-house clinic conducted complimentary basic health checks which is an integral part of our commitment to promoting health and safety.
The Air Niugini Safety Day was organised by the airline’s Safety, Quality, Risk and Audit Department. The department’s Chief, Ms Pamela Waringe in her closing remarks said the Safety Day signifies the collective efforts of the various departments in a collaborative approach to awareness of safety.
“Safety is not merely a checklist or a set of procedures—it’s a mindset, a culture, and a way of life. It’s the collective heartbeat that ensures our passengers, crew, and aircraft soar through the skies with confidence. Let us carry the spirit of Safety Day beyond these walls. Let it permeate our operations, our interactions, and our dreams of safer skies as we expand. Together, we’ll continue to uphold the highest standards, because safety isn’t just our job—it’s our legacy,” Ms Waringe concluded.
The event was livestreamed, giving the airline’s staff in the outports the opportunity also to see the Safety Day activities. The Air Niugini Safety Day is now planned to be held annually.
Corporate Communications Department
Sunday 24th March, 2024