What happened
Air Niugini, the national airline of Papua New Guinea, has quietly canceled its order for two Boeing 787-8 aircraft. The order, initially placed in 2023 with deliveries expected in 2026, was pushed back to late 2027 before being dropped. The cancellation leaves the airline's wide-body fleet future uncertain. Air Niugini currently operates two Boeing 767-300ERs, both of which are leased and have leases expiring at the end of 2026. While a lease extension is possible, the aircraft are over 30 years old. The 787s were intended to replace the 767s, offering improved range and capacity. The decision follows a period of uncertainty, with the chairman citing "changing circumstances" in early 2025 and the CEO later reaffirming the strategy. The airline recently appointed a new CEO focused on profitability and preparing for partial privatization. Meanwhile, Air Niugini continues to modernize its narrow-body fleet with 11 Airbus A220s replacing older Fokker models