Location: Goroka and Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
Event: U.S. citizens who wish to depart Papua New Guinea immediately—and who can get to Goroka or Port Moresby—are advised to read this message carefully and closely follow all instructions, if applicable.
The U.S. Department of State is preparing, on a reimbursable basis, potential charter flights with capacity for up to 200 private U.S. citizens who wish to return to the United States immediately. U.S. citizens who wish to request seats for these flights must follow the directions in this message as soon as possible, preferably within 24 hours.
The proposed charter flights are expected to travel from Goroka (GKA) to Port Moresby (POM) and then from Port Moresby (POM) to San Francisco (SFO) via Honolulu, Hawaii (HNL). Confirmed passengers would be able to board in Goroka or Port Moresby.
U.S. citizens would be able to disembark in Honolulu or San Francisco and secure their own onward commercial airfare from either of those locations.
A total of three charter flights from Goroka to Port Moresby would begin departing at staggered times on Monday, April 6th at approximately 9:00 a.m., all arriving in Port Moresby before noon. The U.S.-bound charter flight would depart Port Moresby Monday, April 6th at approximately 4:00 p.m.
Confirmed passengers planning to board in Goroka need to arrive at the Goroka Airport no later than 3 hours in advance of their confirmed flight’s departure time, or as soon as the facility opens. Passengers will be assigned a specific flight and flight departure time. All passengers on these flights will be consolidated to the U.S.-bound charter flight.
Confirmed passengers planning to board in Port Moresby need to arrive at Jacksons International Airport no later than 1 p.m. on Monday, April 6th. The designated arrival location will be provided in an email sent to confirmed passengers.
The U.S. Embassy cannot provide transportation to Goroka or Port Moresby from other parts of Papua New Guinea.
The estimated cost of this charter option to return to the United States is 1,882 USD, regardless of boarding location. All passengers will be required to reimburse the U.S. government for the actual seat cost. No payment of any kind will be accepted in advance of the charter flights. Signed promissory notes from each adult passenger will be required before boarding.
Begin instructions: U.S. citizens who are prepared to return to the United States immediately—and who can arrive in Goroka or Port Moresby by the times referenced above—may request seats by providing the information in the table below to ConsularPortMoresby@state.gov and placing “PNG Department Charter” in the subject line. Emails that do not use this subject line may be missed or miscategorized.
Please note, information for each U.S. citizen traveler or family unit must be provided—either directly or through your organization. All listed information is required to be completed and should be submitted using the table format provided below. Each potential traveler and their information should be entered in a separate row in the table.
Please note, U.S. citizens confirmed for these flights will receive a separate email with additional information. Unless you receive an email confirming your seat, please do not come to the airport. Only those with email confirmations will be allowed to board. End instructions.
Please Note:
- The Embassy cannot guarantee that it will be able to offer assistance to U.S. citizens who wish to return to the United States.
- In the event that assistance can be offered, only U.S. citizens and immediate family members are eligible to receive U.S. government support to return to the United States.
- Under U.S. law, travelers on any potential charter flight organized by the Department of State are responsible for paying the cost of their ticket, which may be higher than standard commercial fares.
- Space on any potential charter flights may be limited and would be filled on a first-come-first-serve basis or based on medical or emergency need.
- Due to the high volume of inquiries and limited staffing, you will not receive a response unless you are confirmed or waitlisted for the potential flights.
Actions to Take:
- Provide the above information for each U.S. citizen traveler in your party. Please read the instructions carefully and provide complete and accurate information for each data field.
- Consult the CDC website for the most up-to-date information.
- For the most recent information on what you can do to reduce your risk of contracting COVID-19, please see the CDC’s latest recommendations.
- Visit the COVID-19 crisis page on travel.state.gov for the latest information.
- Visit our Embassy webpage on COVID-19 for information on conditions in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu.
- Visit the Department of Homeland Security’s websiteon the latest travel restrictions to the United States
Assistance:
U.S. Embassy Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
Phone number: +675 308 2100
Email address: ConsularPortMoresby@state.gov
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/usembassyportmoresby/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/usembassypom?lang=en
U.S. State Department – Consular Affairs
+1 888 407 4747 or +1 202 501 4444
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