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Funds sought for landing system at Rota, Tinian airports
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Posted on May 25 2005
The Commonwealth Ports Authority adopted a resolution on Monday urging the central government to secure federal funding or use its own funds to install and maintain a more advanced landing system at the Tinian and Rota international airports.
This came after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration declined CPA’s request for FAA to install and operate an “instrument landing system” at both airports.
FAA said it could not approve the request at the present, as both airports did not meet the cost benefit threshold for the installation of the equipment due to low passenger traffic.
In a resolution adopted Monday, CPA noted that an alternative solution to install the ILS at the airports lies directly with the U.S. Congress through special appropriation.
Another way is by having the CNMI government to provide direct funding to implement ILS installation, routine maintenance, and repair by FAA.
Still another option is to await implementation of a “local area augmentation system,” a superior, easier-to-implement technology which is expected to be available at less cost in 2006.
However, the CPA board decided to take either of the first two options.
“[The] authority requests and supports action by the Commonwealth government to secure funding directly from the United States Congress or through its own funds to install and maintain an ILS system under the control of the FAA,” a portion of the board resolution read.
Currently, both airports are using “visual flight rules,” a less sophisticated landing system.
CPA noted that the use of more advanced aircraft landing system would be beneficial to the operation of the airports.
