CoveragePost
May 20, 2024
New Caledonia’s Tontouta International Airport remains closed, and Air New Zealand’s next scheduled flight is on Saturday — although it is not ruling out adding extra services. Air NZ’s Captain David Morgan said on Monday evening flights would only resume when they were assured of the security of the airport and safe access for passengers ... <a title="Kiwis trapped in Nouméa: Air NZ won’t fly from New Caledonia for days" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/05/20/kiwis-trapped-in-noumea-air-nz-wont-fly-from-new-caledonia-for-days/" aria-label="Read more about Kiwis trapped in Nouméa: Air NZ won’t fly from New Caledonia for days">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
May 18, 2024
By Lauren Crimp , RNZ News reporter New Zealanders stuck among riots and civil unrest in New Caledonia’s capital say they feel abandoned by their own country, having received little help from the government. Nouméa descended into chaos on Monday, with clashes between indigenous Kanak pro-independence protesters and French security forces. They were sparked by ... <a title="Tourists trapped by New Caledonia unrest feel ‘abandoned’ by NZ" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/05/18/tourists-trapped-by-new-caledonia-unrest-feel-abandoned-by-nz/" aria-label="Read more about Tourists trapped by New Caledonia unrest feel ‘abandoned’ by NZ">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
May 17, 2024
Air New Zealand has confirmed Nouméa’s Tontouta International airport in New Caledonia is closed until Tuesday. The airline earlier told RNZ it would update customers as soon as it could. Earlier today, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters told RNZ Morning Report government officials had been working on an “hourly basis” to see what could be ... <a title="New Caledonia’s Nouméa airport closed until Tuesday, says Air New Zealand" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/05/17/new-caledonias-noumea-airport-closed-until-tuesday-says-air-new-zealand/" aria-label="Read more about New Caledonia’s Nouméa airport closed until Tuesday, says Air New Zealand">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
March 9, 2024
PNG Post-Courier Papua New Guinea’s national airline flight from Port Moresby to Cairns today was operated by an all female Air Niugini crew in recognition of International Women’s Day. With the day’s theme of “Invest in Women, Accelerate Progress”, the national airline continues its progress in equal participation for all women within the organisation, whether ... <a title="All female Air Niugini crew fly out to Cairns on International Women’s Day" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/03/09/all-female-air-niugini-crew-fly-out-to-cairns-on-international-womens-day/" aria-label="Read more about All female Air Niugini crew fly out to Cairns on International Women’s Day">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
May 10, 2023
REVIEW: By Sri Krishnamurthi From Island girl to an airline pilot seems like the Disney fantasy Moana yet nothing could further from the truth when it comes to Silva McLeod who turned fantasy into reality with heartbreak along the way. Born in the small Tongan village of Vava’u in the days when we watched and ... <a title="Fantasy like Moana? ‘No, I just wanted to tell my story,’ says Tongan pilot" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/05/10/fantasy-like-moana-no-i-just-wanted-to-tell-my-story-says-tongan-pilot/" aria-label="Read more about Fantasy like Moana? ‘No, I just wanted to tell my story,’ says Tongan pilot">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
April 26, 2023
RNZ Pacific New Zealand hostage Phillip Mehrtens, who is being held by pro-independence fighters in West Papua, appears well in a newly-released video. It comes as concerns were expressed for the pilot as fighting between Indonesian security forces and his captors, the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), intensified last week. New Zealand Prime Minister ... <a title="‘I’m alive, healthy . . . stop the bombs,’ says kidnapped NZ pilot in new West Papua video" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/04/26/im-alive-healthy-stop-the-bombs-says-kidnapped-nz-pilot-in-new-west-papua-video/" aria-label="Read more about ‘I’m alive, healthy . . . stop the bombs,’ says kidnapped NZ pilot in new West Papua video">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
April 4, 2023
Asia Pacific Report Bougainville President Ishmael Toroama today condemned a visiting Papua New Guinean member of Parliament for “mocking” the autonomous region’s independence aspirations during a drunken exchange in Buka last week, saying that he must “atone for his blunder”. A video of Ijivitari MP David Arore allegedly abusing security guards and airport staff while ... <a title="Bougainville president slams ‘mocking’ by drunken MP over independence" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/04/04/bougainville-president-slams-mocking-by-drunken-mp-over-independence/" aria-label="Read more about Bougainville president slams ‘mocking’ by drunken MP over independence">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
March 10, 2023
Asia Pacific Report The West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) has released a new video about New Zealand hostage pilot Philip Mehrtens and a Papuan news organisation, Jubi TV, has featured it on its website. The Susi Air pilot was taken hostage on February 7 after landing in a remote region near Nduga in the ... <a title="Hostage NZ pilot appears in new Papuan rebel video amid ‘don’t work here’ warning" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/03/10/hostage-nz-pilot-appears-in-new-papuan-rebel-video-amid-dont-work-here-warning/" aria-label="Read more about Hostage NZ pilot appears in new Papuan rebel video amid ‘don’t work here’ warning">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 22, 2023
RNZ Pacific A West Papuan independence movement leader, Benny Wenda, says the release of New Zealand pilot Phillip Mehrtens held hostage by armed rebels is out of his hands. The West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) fighters kidnapped Mehrtens on February 7 after he landed a small commercial passenger plane in Nduga regency. The group ... <a title="Wenda calls on West Papuan rebels to release kidnapped NZ pilot" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/02/22/wenda-calls-on-west-papuan-rebels-to-release-kidnapped-nz-pilot/" aria-label="Read more about Wenda calls on West Papuan rebels to release kidnapped NZ pilot">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 18, 2023
Jubi News in Jayapura An indigenous Papuan negotiation team has traversed rugged highlands forests in the Indonesian-ruled Melanesian province in search of the New Zealand pilot Philip Mehrtens, who was taken hostage by rebels last week. The crisis over the captive pilot held by the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) led by Egianus Kogoya ... <a title="Indigenous Papuan negotiators walk to forest hideout to seek release of pilot" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/02/18/indigenous-papuan-negotiators-walk-to-forest-hideout-to-seek-release-of-pilot/" aria-label="Read more about Indigenous Papuan negotiators walk to forest hideout to seek release of pilot">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 16, 2023
BACKGROUNDER: By David Robie Papuan independence rebels are playing a desperate game of cat and mouse with Indonesian authorities over their hostage taking last week with a New Zealand pilot caught in the middle. Christchurch-raised Philip Mehrtens, 37, a pilot for the national feeder airline Susi Air owned by a former cabinet minister and with ... <a title="Papuan cat-and-mouse over NZ pilot taken captive by ‘freedom’ rebels" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/02/16/papuan-cat-and-mouse-over-nz-pilot-taken-captive-by-freedom-rebels/" aria-label="Read more about Papuan cat-and-mouse over NZ pilot taken captive by ‘freedom’ rebels">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 9, 2023
RNZ News Indonesian police and military have launched a joint mission to rescue a New Zealand pilot who was seized by rebels as a hostage in Indonesia’s Papua region on Tuesday, media reports say. The Jakarta Post reports that authorities have set up a joint search and rescue operation to try and locate Susi Air ... <a title="Rescue mission underway for NZ pilot held hostage in Papua, say reports" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/02/09/rescue-mission-underway-for-nz-pilot-held-hostage-in-papua-say-reports/" aria-label="Read more about Rescue mission underway for NZ pilot held hostage in Papua, say reports">Read more</a>
