OIA backs CNMI’s clamor for direct flights

Pressed by the Commonwealth government’s clamor for direct international flights to the island from major Asian cities, the United States Department of the Interior has thrown its support to the CNMI’s protest against persistent treatment of Saipan and Guam as co-terminals by Continental Micronesia.

Insular Affairs Director Ferdinand Aranza assured the Commonwealth Ports Authority and the CNMI government that concerned federal agencies are now working at providing better air transport service to the Northern Marianas.

“We will continue to give improved air service the highest priority within the framework of the Interagency Group on Insular Areas,” said Mr. Aranza in a letter to CPA Board Chair Roman S. Palacios and Executive Director Carlos H. Salas.

Mr. Salas discussed the plight of air transportation service in the Northern Marianas with the OIA chief executive in his recent trip to the American capital of Washington DC, amid Continental Micronesia’s elimination of all non-stop international flights to Saipan.

According to Mr. Aranza, CPA has made a clear point when it protested to the U.S. Department of Transportation the continued treatment by the region’s carrier of Saipan and Guam as co-terminals wherein CNMI does not get any direct flight from Sapporo and Sendai in Japan.

“The position of CPA is clear, and there is certainly a need for direct service between Saipan and cities in Japan. We have discussed this issue with DOT officials and we are convinced that they are fully aware of the CNMI’s concerns,” he told Mr. Palacios and Mr. Salas.

Under existing bilateral air agreement with Japan, other American carriers can come in and provide air transport services on routes between Saipan and major cities in Japan.

“We are confident that, as the Asian and CNMI economies recover, the number of visitors to the CNMI will increase, and additional service will become attractive to both Continental and other airlines,” Mr. Aranza pointed out.

However, Mr. Palacios maintained Continental Micronesia has never signified any interest in resuming any of its previous direct international flights from Japan to Saipan despite current growth in visitor arrivals to the Northern Marianas.

The CPA board chair cited arrival figures last month which soared seven percent to 42,159 from last year of the same month’s 39,558.
Arrivals from Japan posted a modest drop of two percent mainly because of the termination of Nagoya-Saipan direct flight by Continental Micronesia.

Travel agencies in Japan has cited the reduction in direct service as most travelers wanted to arrive on the same day that they depart Japan and vice versa and that there were not enough airline seats to Saipan, according to a report from the Marianas Visitors Authority.

The ports authority is pressing the United States Department of Transportation to recognize Guam and Saipan as separate destinations that should receive separate direct air transport services from Continental Micronesia.

Continental Micronesia’s decision to cut down services to the Northern Marianas meant 64 percent reduction on total direct international flights to Saipan between 1997 and 1999, bringing only 74,000 passengers into the CNMI last year.

In 1997, Continental Micronesia had more than 700 direct Japan-Saipan flights each year. The carrier does not currently have even a single direct flight between Saipan and Japan.

Mr. Palacios also dropped strong hints CPA is not likely to withdraw its protest on the application of Continental Micronesia to renew its certificate authority for the Sendai/Sapporo-Saipan/Guam route unless concrete actions are taken by the carrier to resume non-stop service to the island.

Continental Micronesia president Bill Meehan and staff vice president for sales and promotions Walter Dias met with Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio earlier this month but could not promise non-stop flights to Saipan.

Mr. Palacios said the Northern Marianas suffered tremendous economic losses due to Continental Micronesia’s decision to abandon direct flights between Saipan and two Japanese cities.

The Micronesian islands’ flag carrier is seeking to renew its five weekly Saipan-Guam-Sapporo flights and daily Saipan-Guam-Sendai air transport service.

Under its existing authority, Continental Micronesia can operate air transport service between Saipan and Guam and Sendai and Sapporo, the two islands being treated as co-terminal points.

The current arrangement makes it appear that a service to either Saipan or Guam is a service to both islands.