GUELPH, Ontario, Jan. 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The humanitarian organization Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) supports many rural communities in Papua New Guinea.
At the end of 2021, there were many happy faces when MAF pilot Ryan Cole, originally from Alberta, made a test landing at Mui Airstrip in Papua New Guinea. Due to the serious repairs needed, the airstrip had not been used for almost 25 years. The surrounding municipalities have combined their efforts in this huge undertaking, working to restore it and bring it up to standard. It is now officially open and will once again serve as a lifeline for the 14 surrounding villages and the 10,000 people who live there.
Airstrips in remote places like Mui provide access to medical evacuations for sick or injured people who might not otherwise survive their injury or illness. MAF planes, with the help of pilots like Ryan, also provide vaccines, building materials, educational materials, medical personnel and much more.
It’s special to land in a place where MAF hasn’t been in so long. People are extremely appreciative and our staff like to take extra time to interact. In recent years, so much has separated us, pushing isolated people further away from help. This airstrip and MAF flights are just one of the ways we hope to reconnect the world.
Mission Aviation Fellowship has been in service in Papua New Guinea since 1951. With dense jungle, mountainous highlands, and dangerous roads, the need for aircraft as transportation in Papua New Guinea is great. Remote communities rely on MAF to airlift medical personnel, teachers, humanitarian aid, and materials to build and equip schools and hospitals.
Canadian driver Ryan Cole has been with the MAF since 2008. He has lived in Papua New Guinea with his wife Siobhan since 2016.
For more than 75 years, Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) brought help, hope and healing through aviation to some of the most isolated places on earth. Today, we partner with over 1,500 organizations to bring support, hope, healing, spiritual care and community building to thousands of communities where flying is not a luxury but a lifeline.
CONTACT: Brad Bell, CEO
MAFC.org | 1-877-351-9344 | bbell@mafc.org
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/57c5ee9a-dba4-4927-ad52-138485ed8a57
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