The National Airports Corporation has closed the Kagamuga Airport in Western Highlands province indefinitely.
This follows a break-in last night by unknown men onto the tarmac and spillage of waste oil onto the runway.
Flights to Mt. Hagen were cancelled and passengers in Port Moresby left stranded.
The National Airports Corporation today held a joint news conference with the two major airlines following last night’s reports.
“The reason being that last night some perpetrators access our run way and spill oil onto the runway. Our technical team on the ground are assessing the extend of the damage” Kiponge said.
Investigations are continuing into an oil spill on the tarmac of Kagamuga airport in Western Highlands, believed to be from unknown people in the country’s third largest city.
While the perpetrators are not yet known to authorities, it is highly likely the acts maybe linked to the current politics on the ground.
NAC has commenced assessment on the extent of damage to the runway, at present the security contract for the firm on location has been suspended.
Mt. Hagen bound passengers where left passengers stranded this morning with the termination of flights.
The Airlines says the loss isn’t greater for them as it is for the travellers.
Passengers travelling to other centres will not be affected.
“It’s your wantoks that will be affected by your own actions” Bruce Alabaster said.
“What happened has affected highlands community who uses Hagen. We urged the people of Mt Hagen to bring their matter to the right people or channel rather than using the facility’ Stanley Stevens said.
The National Airport Corporation says sabotaging the airport is criminal in nature and is a matter now in the hands of police.
