All international and domestic flights in and out of Port Moresby is through Jacksons International Airport. It’s located inside the city itself and within easy access by road from all city suburbs and major establishments like hotels, city center, corporate businesses offices and etc.
International Flights to and from Port Moresby
Most of the international flights into and out of Port Moresby are through Air Niugini, the state owned national carrier, The other international airlines that fly into port Moresby are;
- Philippineairlines–The national airline of the Philippines.
- Qantas Australia- The Australian national flag carrier.
- Citilink- Budget carrier Indonesian airline. Recently announced to offer flights between Bali-Indonesia and Port Moresby.
Domestic Flights to and from Port Moresby.
There are two main airlines serving the domestic flights in and out of Port Moresby.
Air Niugini and it’s subsidiary, Link PNG.
Air Niugini operates flights to only the major centers like Rabaul, Buka, Lae, Hagen, Goroka, Madang, East Sepik and West Sepik, while Link PNG services both these provinces as well as other districts and provinces that have smaller airports that caters for third level airlines.
PNG Air (Formerly known as Air Lines PNG)
PNG Air is a third level airline that operates domestic flights to selected airports around the country. Their base is also at the Jacksons International airport.
TropicAir
Tropic Air-Operates into major airports and rural airstrips. Mainly used by government officials, international NGOs, corporate entities for charter flights and limited normal passenger flights.
Operate charter flights supporting mainly extractive industries like mining and logging. Hevilift is based in Hagen Airport in the Western Highlands Province.
Catching domestic and international flights at Jacksons Airport.
Arrival and departure of international and domestic flights are through separate terminals at Jacksons International Airport. Since there is limited number of international flights, the international terminal is not that crowded apart from checking and arrival of lights. In between the terminal is not that busy, so you can access the ATM machines, the BSP Foreign Currency Exchange counter and check in area. During busy times, security officers will allow only ticket holders to pass through the gates.
Domestic terminal is always busy with lots of people moving and out of it. So, it’s advisable to go at least an hour before the 2 hours required check time. Also flight cancellations can happen without prior notice to the customer.
Make sure to eat at home before going to the airport. There is only one coffee shop inside the checking area and two in the departure lounge area. The prices are double the price for basic items like soft drinks, coffee or muffins.
Public transport to and from Jacksons Airport
There is no direct bus service from any city bus stop to the Jacksons International Airport. Transport to and from airport is only through Taxi or personal drop off and pick up from family members or chauffeur services by hotels or organizations.
If you decide to take a Taxi from the airport, it is important tell the taxi drive the physical building name, hotel name, bank branch, institution and etc then street names. There aren’t many street name sign posts and most taxi drivers will not remember all the street names.
Also, negotiate with the driver for fare before getting on because, all taxies don’t have fare meter like in other cities. Fare is estimated depending on the distance.
Taxi fares are not charged per individual but per trip/run. Example, two people can take a taxi and pay a single fare.
