AN INDEPENDENCE STORY: AIR NIUGINI STAFF PIONEERS AVIATION INDUSTRY IN PNG
Corporate Communications Department
Thursday 12th September 2019
The aviation industry in Papua New Guinea has come a long way well before the country gained Independence 44 years ago.
One of Air Niugini’s long service staff, Gus Kraus has been there since day one pioneering the aviation industry, starting his career in 1968.
Around that time, the question for a national airline was one of the first major issues to arise as Independence for PNG was fast approaching.
From his humble beginnings pioneering with Talair then Ansett Airlines of PNG which later transitioned into Air Niugini, Kraus has experienced the growth of the aviation industry since then.
He witnessed the development of Air Niugini and was party to amalgamate the processes and procedures of both Ansett PNG and Trans-Australia
During this journey, Kraus achieved milestones which include the recipient of the PNG 10th Anniversary Independence Medal for services to Community and Aviation, and most recently awarded an MBE in the Queen’s honour list in June this year.
Kraus was humbled and grateful to have been honoured by the Queen.
“It was, in some way, a small token of appreciation considering the hard years in an ever developing aviation industry both in PNG and Solomon Islands where I spent most of my career. Getting an award that recognised this is very gratifying but humbling.”
Kraus has worked with the national airline for 27 years now, leaving in between but is back for the third time and currently the General Manager for Air Niugini Cargo.
Kraus comes from Rabaul in East New Britain Province. He began his career in 1968 when he joined Talair in Goroka then moved to Rabaul to join Ansett Airlines PNG in 1969.
He was part of the team when Ansett transitioned into Air Niugini in 1974.
Kraus was put in the front line doing customer service work and was promoted to manager in Manus then to Wewak and later as deputy manager at the Jacksons Airport before being placed in Traffic Systems to ensure a smooth implementation of the Dash7 aircraft into Air Niugini and indeed, Papua New Guinea as a “first of type” aircraft.
In between; Kraus was attached to the Training Department as the Weight & Balance trainer and was responsible for all of Air Niugini’s fleet as trainer in load-control as well as training for the Qantas B747 Combi that was a regular feature to Jackson’s airport in those days.
He then spent 3 years as manager for Air Niugini Cargo and the same Terminal approved through his efforts is the current International terminal he had approved to rebuild in circa 1982.
He believes that aviation is an industry with huge capital costs and very small margins and especially operating an airline in the challenging environment in PNG ensures you have to be on your game for Safety and the welfare of both passengers and crew but also all your workers/staff.
Kraus said, “Aviation is an evolving industry with new planes being manufactured and compliance being a huge factor in running airlines these days but yet; not undermining the resources and capabilities of the past.”
He highlighted that the Pacific region is also a challenge when it comes to aviation with little population in each island country yet each with their own national pride and ambition in seeking their own airline.
Kraus is a firm believer in the hard decisions and highlighted that better control of costs and seeking to generate more revenue which also means more flying of assets are key ingredients of ensuring a return on investment to the owners of the airline, the Government and people of Papua New Guinea.
“Sitting on the ground does not auger well for any airline let alone our National Carrier without sufficient returns, the company cannot plan to invest its hard fought funds back into the airline as most costs are fixed and we are paying anyway for fixed costs.”
Kraus has a wide range of experience in various areas in the aviation industry from commercial and airport plus engineering oversight to flight operations, cabin crew oversight, airport handling and customer services, aircraft leases, charter organisation, schedules planning, cargo handling, catering oversight, aircraft cabin cleaning and domestic port audits as well as and Approved person whilst hold the role of acting CEO in Solomon Airlines prior to returning to PNG and Air Niugini.
He was appointed manager SE Queensland based in Brisbane for four years with Air Niugini then joined Solomon Airlines Commercial & Operations team in 1988.
He returned to PNG with Regional Air in 1997 as PNG country manager and later joined Airlines PNG in 2002 responsible for all commercial and operational matters.
Leaving Airlines PNG in December of 2006, he then re-joined Air Niugini in 2007 for 12 months before moving back to Solomon Islands as Solomon Airlines General Manager for Operations & Commercial in 2008. Kraus resigned from Solomon Airlines in December 2016 and re-joined Air Niugini in 2017 until today.
In between his early aviation career, Kraus had a passion for rugby league and was the first ever coach of Brothers Rugby League team in Mt Hagen and the Sea Eagles team in Wewak after playing for Sea Eagles in Rabaul and later joined Kokopo United.
After the first year of coaching and leaving, Brothers won the premiership three years running while Sea Eagles won two premierships after he left.
“I must thank my employer Air Niugini for giving me the opportunity to grow and develop my career in the aviation industry and making many friends and colleagues during my career. I also would like to thank my family that gives me the sense of purpose to continue my journey in aviation and sincerely thank my wife Ateca, who is a Solomon Islander by birth but a Fijian by heritage, for raising our 6 children on her own. Thank you & vinaka!” Kraus concluded
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