Goroka Airport was temporarily closed on Monday following an aircraft incident involving a PNG Air ATR 72-600 during take-off.
The National Airports Corporation (NAC) in a statement confirmed that the incident occurred at approximately 10:16am on Runway 17R, when the aircraft experienced a tire burst and became disabled on the runway.
NAC said the Emergency response teams at the airport immediately activated safety procedures and safely evacuated all passengers, crew, and cargo from the aircraft to the terminal.
NAC said all 32 passengers and crew members onboard were unharmed, with no injuries reported.
A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) was issued at 10:59am to officially close the runway while PNG Air, in coordination with the Accident Investigation Commission (AIC) and NAC, carried out inspections and worked to remove the aircraft from the runway.
NAC thanked all stakeholders for their cooperation during the incident and reassured the travelling public, airline partners, and the business community that passenger safety remains its top priority.
Further updates are expected once the aircraft is cleared and the runway is declared safe for normal operations.