# Air Niugini Cancels Boeing 787 Order, Leaves Wide-Body Fleet Future Uncertain

_Mar 16 11:58_

Tags: Air Niugini, Papua New Guinea, airline, industry news

Air Niugini has canceled its order for two Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners, originally expected in late 2027. With its two leased Boeing 767-300ERs set to expire in 2026, the carrier may temporarily operate without wide-body aircraft

## Summary

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

## Why it matters

Affects Air Niugini loyalty members and route planners.

## Sources cited

- [One Mile at a Time](https://onemileatatime.com/news/air-niugini-cancels-boeing-787-order) — Air Niugini Cancels Boeing 787 Order, Left With Uncertain Wide Body Future

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