PNG Police Air Wing Deal: Pangu Party Secures Control of State Helicopters to Rig 2027 Elections

by PAUL L. KEBAIJA

The ruling Pangu Pati government, led by Prime Minister James Marape and Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso, has awarded Manolos Aviation the contract to operate and maintain the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary’s Bell 412 helicopters for the Police Air Wing. This is not a routine commercial arrangement. It is a calculated move by a government that has failed on almost every front economy, law and order, health, education, and basic service delivery and now fears it will be voted out in the 2027 national elections. Despite clear public anger and the people’s desire to remove this administration at the ballot box, Pangu is taking direct control of critical state assets like the Police Air Wing to rig the outcome.

A detailed desktop assessment of Manolos Aviation’s compliance, now widely shared among PNG pilots and aviation professionals, reveals why this decision is so dangerous. The report concludes that Manolos is **not compliant** with multiple sections of the Civil Aviation Act 2000 and Civil Aviation Rules. It lacks properly qualified Bell 412 pilots for multi-crew police and paramilitary operations, has no evidence of Crew Resource Management training, and does not employ sufficient Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineers with type ratings on the aircraft. Its hangar facilities in Lae are inadequate, it has no approved Bell 412 maintenance procedures, and its Safety Management System is described as dysfunctional marked by coercion from senior management, a culture of fear and intimidation, and suppression of safety reporting. The company owner simultaneously holds too many key safety-critical positions, breaching fundamental requirements for independent oversight. The assessment states plainly that Manolos’ current setup “cannot be used to cover RPNGC operations” and presents “significant procedural and operational risk” to the police.

Despite these red flags, the contract was still awarded. Job advertisements placed by Manolos itself confirm they are now hiring Bell 412 pilots and engineers specifically “for the RPNGC Contract.” No proper risk assessment or change management process appears to have been completed before handing over these sensitive state helicopters. This is not how a responsible government protects its police force or its citizens.

The political motive is impossible to ignore. The Pangu Party, through Prime Minister James Marape and Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso (the Member for Lae), is behind this arrangement. DPM Rosso has a clear soft spot for Manolos Aviation. His office and the Lae City Authority have publicly partnered with the company to offer sponsored helicopter pilot training opportunities for Lae residents. Manolos is a Lae-based operator. In PNG politics, such local connections are rarely accidental when valuable government contracts are involved.

By placing the Police Air Wing’s helicopters under an operator with serious compliance failures and close ties to the Deputy Prime Minister, the Pangu government is positioning itself to use these assets for political advantage in the lead-up to 2027. Police helicopters can move people and equipment quickly across difficult terrain, conduct surveillance, and project state power. In the wrong hands, they become tools to influence swing electorates, transport party supporters, or intimidate opponents classic tactics used by desperate governments facing rejection at the polls.

Prime Minister James Marape is fully aware of this decision. As head of the Pangu-led coalition, he bears ultimate responsibility. Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso, whose electorate benefits from the company’s presence and who has actively promoted Manolos through training programs, has enabled it. This government, which has delivered little for ordinary Papua New Guineans, is now using its remaining power to rig the next election rather than face the consequences of its failures.

PNG’s aviation community is already sounding the alarm. Experienced pilots are circulating the compliance assessment and questioning how an operator with these documented deficiencies was chosen for such a high-risk role. The lives of police personnel who will fly in these helicopters, and the communities they serve, are being placed at unnecessary risk for political gain.

This is about the ruling Pangu Party seizing control of a key arm of the state security apparatus at a time when it knows the people want it gone. The 2027 elections must be free and fair. Handing police helicopters to a non-compliant operator with political connections is a direct threat to that principle. CASA PNG, the Police Commissioner, and every responsible leader must immediately review and reverse this dangerous decision before it is too late.