Where there are roads there are many privately operated Public Motor Vehicles, mostly minivans, which function as unscheduled buses. In coastal locations fibreglass "banana boats" provide the same sort of service.
Most of the transport services which require a larger investment, such as aircraft and long distance ferries, are run by the churches or church affiliated companies, for example Luship (from "Lutheran"), Adventist Airlines (better known as "Sevende") and Missionary Air Services. One notable exception is the government owned Air Nuigini.
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total:
19,600 km
paved:
686 km
unpaved:
18,914 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: 10,940 km
Ports and harbors: Kieta, Lae, Madang, Port Moresby, Rabaul
Merchant marine:
total:
21 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 36,417 GRT/52,432 DWT
ships by type:
bulk 2, cargo 10, chemical tanker 1, combination ore/oil 1, container 1, petroleum tanker 3, roll-on/roll-off 3 (1999 est.)
Airports: 492 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total:
19
2,438 to 3,047 m:
1
1,524 to 2,437 m:
14
914 to 1,523 m:
3
under 914 m:
1 (1999 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total:
473
1,524 to 2,437 m:
13
914 to 1,523 m:
58
under 914 m:
402 (1999 est.)
Heliports: 2 (1999 est.)