No Falcon Drama! PM Marape Takes Commercial Flight to New York

​Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape flew to New York last Wednesday on a commercial flight due to the national Falcon aircraft being under maintenance, according to Air Niugini. The airline clarified that the Falcon, which is typically used for such trips, was unavailable, prompting the decision for the Prime Minister to travel commercially.

In response to social media rumors claiming that the Kumul aircraft was stranded in New York due to fuel issues, Air Niugini firmly denied the reports. The airline emphasized that the claims were false, addressing the misinformation that spread across social platforms.

A spokesperson from the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that the Prime Minister departed from Port Moresby on a commercial flight and reached New York as planned. “We requested for the Falcon to fly Prime Minister to New York direct. But because it was under maintenance, he travelled on a commercial flight last Wednesday,” the office stated.

After completing his engagements in New York, Prime Minister Marape returned to PNG on another commercial flight. The Falcon remains in Port Moresby, undergoing scheduled maintenance, which was the reason for the commercial travel, according to Air Niugini.

Air Niugini CEO Garry Seddon strongly denounced the social media reports, calling them “fake news.” He reiterated that the Falcon is still in Port Moresby and that the Prime Minister flew commercially in order to reduce costs.

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