The upgrade of Hoskins Airport in West New Britain Province has reached 57 percent completion, with temporary runway restrictions remaining in place as construction enters its next phase.

The National Airports Corporation (NAC) said airside works under Stages One to Seven have been completed, with Stage Eight now underway after receiving approval from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority of Papua New Guinea (CASA PNG).

As construction continues, the airport's available runway length has been temporarily reduced to 1,090 metres, allowing operations only by DHC-8-300, ATR-42 and smaller aircraft.

NAC said once Stage Eight is completed at the end of July, the available runway length will increase to 1,240 metres, allowing Q400 aircraft to resume operations.

Runway construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, subject to favourable weather conditions.

The Corporation said the upgrade is designed to improve aviation safety, security, reliability and operational efficiency at Hoskins Airport.

NAC acknowledged the temporary inconvenience caused by the restrictions and thanked airline operators, passengers, businesses and the people of West New Britain for their patience and cooperation while the project progresses.

The Hoskins Airport Upgrade Project is being delivered under the Civil Aviation Development Investment Project II (CADIP II), funded by the Government and the Asian Development Bank.