NANOL: An Air Niugini flight from Singapore was scheduled to land in Port Moresby, but was diverted to Cairns in Australia's far north, after vandals damaged landing lights on the runway.

The plane finally landed six hours after the lights were fixed that day, last Thursday.

PNG's Civil Aviation Authority- Air Safety Director, Wilson Sagati says a number of lights at Port Moresby Jackson airport runaway were faulty.

He says he has ordered an investigation as to why the lights were not working when the Singapore flight tried to land.

SAGATI: The airport has a number of percentages when they would render the old runway lights unserviceable if a number of lights go missing, but I have sought an investigation from the people that operates the airport as to the reason why the runway lights were not functioning.

NANOL: How many lights exactly are we looking at?

SAGATI: Do you mean missing?

NANOL: Yeah missing:

SAGATI: I can't comment on that, that's what I'm saying, I'm waiting for the report on the circumstances. I'm told that those runway lights were restored on the next day.

NANOL: He says airport security personnel cannot be trusted and are being investigated, for allowing intruders to enter tthe tarmac and damage the lights.

NANOL: So at this point in time you trust your CA security personnel, including the other security firms contracted to provide security, general supervision security at the terminals?

SAGATI: I can't say I trust them at this point in time. If there's been a breach in security and that is yet not determined at the moment I can't say, accept to say that security's provided all around Port Moresby , the airport here. If there had been a breach of security then that's another matter to look into.

NANOL: PNG's Deputy Opposition leader, Bart Philemon has condemned the incident, which he says is an international disgrace for tourism.

He says it is an embarrassment when PNG's national carrier, Air Niugini has to be diverted to Cairns, because there was no proper lighting on the runway.

PHILEMON: It is an embarrassment even though our own national carrier had to be diverted to Cairns as an alternative airport because it can't land due to the non-lighting at the main runway. Landing lights and so forth that should be under the close scrutiny of the management of CAA. Obviously we cannot be on guard against act of vandalism by our own people, that will happen, and that's more reason why we should be on alert and help them for security of the airport must at all times be one of the highest.

NANOL: He says the PNG Civil Aviation Authority-PNGCAA and security firms contracted to provide surveillance at the airport should be held responsible for negligence.

PHILEMON: There shouldn't be no excuses whatsoever. It just reflects some degree of slackness in our surveillance at the airport. The perimeter should be subject to check at regular intervals to make sure that no equipment at the airport have been vandalised.

NANOL: PNG Civil Aviation Authorities say if investigations find there was a breach of security at the country's international gateway, those firms providing security at the airport will be held responsible.

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