Air Niugini (PX, Port Moresby) has confirmed it will be constructing hangar facilities at Port Moresby Jacksons International Airport that will allow it to carry out its own heavy MRO checks.

In a statement marking the return of ten Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (AMEs) following a four-year training course at the Air New Zealand Aviation Institute in Christchurch, New Zealand, airline CEO Simon Foo said the insourcing of the carrier's maintenance needs would lead to significant cost savings across the board.

"This will reduce overseas expenditure as well as build the PNG Engineering staff capacity," he said. "These ten AMEs are fortunate to be among those who will be using this facility and they are the future of Air Niugini."

Air Niugini completed its first heavy check of a Dash 8 in Port Moresby last year and expects another to be completed by the middle of this year.

According to the ch-aviation fleets module, the carrier currently operates one B737-700, two B737-800s, two B767-300(ER)s (leased from Icelandair), three Dash 8-300s, three Dash 8-200s, one Q300, seven Fokker 100s, and nine Fokker 70s.