1967
By the mid‑1960s, TAA’s “Sunbird Services” network in Papua and New Guinea had become one of the most complex regional airline systems in the Southern Hemisphere. It linked coastal ports, plantation centres, mission stations and rapidly growing highlands towns at a time when many communities still had no road access.
The 1967 route map shows how air services became the backbone of internal transport in the Territory, supporting administration, health, education, mining and agriculture in the years leading up to self‑government and independence.
Expansion
Civil aviation in New Guinea effectively restarted in 1945 when Qantas took over the W. R. Carpenter Australia–PNG service, operating Douglas DC‑3 aircraft between the Australian mainland and key coastal ports such as Lae and Port Moresby. These services re‑established vital links after the disruption and destruction of the Second World War.
Before the war, Guinea Airways had been the dominant operator in New Guinea, pioneering air transport for mining and plantation industries. After the war, however, the Australian Government refused the airline a licence to resume PNG services. Guinea Airways instead concentrated on its Adelaide–Darwin network in Australia’s Northern Territory.
TAA later purchased these route operations from Guinea Airways in 1949, strengthening its inland Australian network and freeing the airline to look northward toward New Guinea.
In March 1950, Qantas introduced the four‑engined Douglas DC‑4 Skymaster between Sydney and Lae, providing a more capable long‑range aircraft for the Australia–PNG route. These flights were an important link for administration, business and defence in the post‑war years.
The introduction of the Australian Government’s Two Airline Policy reshaped the market. Under this policy, Qantas was directed to focus on international operations, while TAA and Ansett‑ANA were designated as the two major carriers on domestic and near‑international routes, including services between Australia and Papua and New Guinea.
Before 1960, internal PNG operations were conducted by Qantas and several independent operators offering scheduled and charter services into the highlands and remote coastal strips. These included small local airlines flying DC‑3s, Norseman, Dragon Rapides and other light aircraft into short, sloping and often marginal airstrips.
TAA and Ansett‑ANA commenced Australia–PNG services on 9 July 1960 along the Sydney–Brisbane–Port Moresby–Lae route using Douglas DC‑6B aircraft. The DC‑6B, a pressurised, four‑engined airliner, offered improved comfort and reliability on the long sectors over the Coral Sea.
The Commonwealth Government then required Qantas to transfer responsibility for internal PNG services. TAA acquired most Qantas assets in the Territory — including aircraft, staff and facilities — and officially took over internal PNG operations on 1 September 1960.
Following the takeover, TAA introduced the “TAA Sunbird Services” branding for all PNG‑based aircraft. The Sunbird name and logo were used on aircraft, timetables and promotional material, emphasising a distinct identity for the airline’s tropical and highlands operations.
This transfer initially left Ansett‑ANA at a disadvantage in the Territory until it purchased Mandated Airlines (MAL), later Ansett‑MAL, and expanded its own PNG network. From that point, TAA Sunbird and Ansett‑MAL became the two principal competitors in internal PNG air services.
Airports such as Goroka, Mount Hagen, Lae and Wewak grew rapidly during this period, with TAA Sunbird aircraft a familiar sight on their short, often weather‑affected runways.
Challenging Conditions
Cargo movement throughout the New Guinea highlands was a major responsibility of airlines operating in the Territory. With few roads and extremely rugged terrain, almost everything — from building materials and fuel to food, mail and medical supplies — had to be flown in.
Due to mountainous terrain, short airstrips and challenging tropical weather, TAA Sunbird experimented with Jet Assisted Take‑Off (JATO) on DC‑3 aircraft to improve performance in high‑altitude and high‑temperature conditions. JATO bottles provided additional thrust during take‑off, helping aircraft clear obstacles and climb more rapidly from difficult strips.
The photograph below shows a JATO takeoff at Lae with Captain Bob Slater, illustrating the kind of innovation required to operate safely in such demanding environments.
Over time, TAA built up a modern fleet of Fokker F27 Friendships and de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otters across a network spanning nearly 10,000 miles and serving more than 40 centres. The F27 Friendship provided pressurised comfort and reliable turbine power on busier routes, while the Twin Otter’s short take‑off and landing performance made it ideal for marginal highlands strips.
These high‑wing aircraft offered panoramic views of dramatic terrain — from tropical jungle and coastal plains to 15,000‑foot mountain ranges and spectacular valleys. For many passengers, a Sunbird flight was their first experience of air travel and their primary connection to the outside world.
Story
The brilliantly coloured Bird of Paradise, native to Papua New Guinea, became the symbol of TAA’s Boeing 727 “Whispering T‑Jet” services between Australia and the Territory. The emblem appeared on aircraft tails and promotional material, linking the airline’s modern jets with the unique natural heritage of PNG.
Just as the Bird of Paradise symbolised the beauty and distinctiveness of the tropics, TAA’s jet services represented the height of modern jet‑age travel — faster, quieter and more comfortable than the piston‑engined aircraft they replaced.
TAA’s “Bird of Paradise” services included direct Sydney–Port Moresby flights (approximately 3¾ hours) and direct Brisbane–Port Moresby flights (approximately 2¾ hours) using Boeing 727 aircraft. These services connected the Territory’s capital with Australia’s major east‑coast cities, supporting government, business, defence and tourism.
In addition, TAA operated a weekly prop‑jet service along the Queensland coast via Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville and Cairns before continuing to Port Moresby. This coastal route provided important links for regional Queensland communities and offered an alternative connection to PNG for passengers and freight.
Together, the Sunbird Services network and the Bird of Paradise jet routes played a central role in the development of Papua and New Guinea in the decades leading up to independence in 1975, and they remain an important chapter in the story of Trans‑Australia Airlines.
