Rota airport to get a facelift

Satisfying public clamor for the improvement of its air transport facility in order to lure more tourists onto the island, the Commonwealth Ports Authority is planning to begin rehabilitation of the Rota International Airport this year.

More than half of the required $3 million funding for the re-surfacing of the airport runway has already been identified through combined efforts of island leaders and CPA, according to Executive Director Carlos H. Salas.

Mr. Salas added at least $2 million from the Rota Capital Improvement Project funds have been made available for the improvement of the airport’s runway.

CPA is expecting to receive final word from the Federal Aviation Administration by summer to clear the road for the public announcement of the runway re-surfacing project.

However, the island’s request for runway surface treatment is not likely to receive federal funding due to the unavailability of funds under the Airport Improvement Program to finance the project.

FAA Airports District Office acting Manager Daniel S. Matsumoto previously wrote Rota Mayor Benjamin Manglona informing island leaders that there is not enough AIP funds available to carry out all projects in the Commonwealth.

Rota leaders have expressed sentiments on the sorry condition of the airport runway and facilities which, they claimed, are major impediments in the local government’s efforts to effectively promote the island as a major tour destination.

Rota, with its pristine beaches and serene natural landscape, is being eyed to be the eco-tourism destination in the Northern Marianas to complement the images of Saipan as shopping hub and Tinian as casino gaming paradise.

Mr. Manglona is concerned that bright prospects for the island’s economic program will not take off unless Rota’s air transportation woes, including absence of sufficient infrastructure, are addressed.

The mayor is lamented that continuous delay in improvement of the Rota International Airport would be counterproductive in the local government’s serious efforts to advance the island’s economic potentials.

Expansion of the Rota airport runway to accommodate bigger aircraft direct from Asian countries has been in the planning stage for ages. The project had to take the back seat in favor of Tinian due to the absence of solid plans to bring in direct international flights.

Aviation officials have decided to carry out the expansion of the West Tinian International Airport first because of the existence of the casino gaming industry in the island which requires international flights direct from Asian countries.