AIR Niugini is proud to announce the relaunch of its Higher Altitude Program, a strategic initiative designed to align all areas of the airline’s operations and ensure a unified approach to service excellence, operational reliability, and financial sustainability.
The program is being relaunched under the leadership of Air Niugini’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Alan Milne. The Higher Altitude Program was first introduced seven years ago under Mr. Milne’s leadership.
Since his return to Air Niugini in February this year, he has prioritized the revival of this program to strengthen the airline’s performance and reinforce its commitment to delivering value to customers, employees, and stakeholders.
The Higher Altitude Program is focused on:
• Enhancing Service Culture: Foster a customer-first mindset across all departments, ensuring passengers experience consistent, high-quality service.
• Improving Operational Reliability: Streamline processes and strengthen coordination between teams to minimize disruptions and maximize efficiency.
• Strengthening Financial Performance: Implement cost-saving measures and align financial practices to support long-term sustainability.
• Promoting Unity: Encourage collaboration and continuous communication between management, staff, and unions with the biggest airline union, National Airline Employees Association (NAEA) who has already come on board to ensure everyone understands the program’s objectives and works toward achieving them.
The relaunch is expected to deliver significant benefits, including reduced operational costs through efficiency gains, improved customer satisfaction through reliable and consistent service, and a stronger competitive position in the aviation market. It also seeks to build a culture of unity and accountability across the airline.
To ensure effective implementation and oversight of these initiatives, there will be substantial changes made to the Senior Leadership Team (SLT). Some of these changes have already been implemented and more will be made over the coming weeks.
Speaking during the relaunch, Mr. Milne emphasized the importance of the program:
“The Higher Altitude Program is about bringing every area of Air Niugini together—service, operations, finance, and our people. When we are aligned, we can deliver excellence to our customers while ensuring the sustainability of our airline.”
He further added, “This program is not just about cost savings; it is about building a stronger, more resilient Air Niugini. By working hand in hand with our employees and unions, we are creating a culture of unity and accountability that will carry us into the future."
The relaunch of the Higher Altitude Program marks a significant milestone in Air Niugini’s journey toward operational excellence and financial sustainability.
With the leadership of CEO Alan Milne and the cooperation of all employees and unions, the airline is committed to achieving new heights in service, reliability, and performance.
Source: Corporate Communications Department
Monday 18th May 2026