Captain Beverly Pakii: Papua New Guinea’s Trailblazing Female Pilot
- Sep 25
- 2 min read
Air Niugini's female pilot Captain Beverly Pakii successfully delivered the new Airbus PX50 A220 from Canada to Papua New Guinea with stopovers at Vancouver, Honolulu and Fiji.
Dubbed the People's Balus, Captain Pakii, accompanied by Captain Timothy Narara arrived on 15 September 2025, the eve of PNG's 50th Independence Anniversary at Jackson's
International Airport.
Amongst the crew was another inspiration for many young PNG girls. Her name, Lyasie Bundu, Air Nuigini’s female avionics engineer.
Captain Beverly Pakii is a pioneering figure in Papua New Guinea’s aviation industry, celebrated as the country’s first female pilot to captain both turboprop and jet aircraft. Hailing from the Enga and Morobe provinces, she carries the rich cultural heritage of PNG while breaking barriers in a male-dominated profession.
Beverly inherited her passion for flying from her father, Captain Ted Pakii, a former Papua New Guinea Defence Force pilot and Air Niugini captain. Her journey began in 2004 as Air Niugini’s first female cadet pilot, with rigorous training at PPT Flying School in Coffs Harbour, Australia.
She returned in 2006 to serve as a First Officer on the De Havilland Canada Dash 8 turboprop.
In March 2015, she became the first female captain of a Dash 8 aircraft in PNG, a milestone
that inspired women nationwide. Just two months later, she led PNG’s first all-female commercial flight crew, flying from Port Moresby to Tabubil and back. By 2018, she had expanded her expertise to Air Niugini’s Fokker 100 and Fokker 70 jets. Her latest achievement in 2024 saw her become the first Papua New Guinean certified as an Airbus A220 captain.
Captain Pakii’s remarkable career exemplifies perseverance, leadership, and national pride, inspiring aspiring pilots and women across the country.
Read about Air Niugini’s new Airbus A220 ‘here’
pakii-papua-new-guineas-trailblazing-female-pilotport-moresby-
pn/1422539606150000/
Comments