CPA revenues in Feb. up 11%

Fueled by the sharp increase in its earnings from non-aviation operations, last month’s revenues generated by the Commonwealth Ports Authority’s airport division jumped 11 percent to $1.1 million from year ago’s $946,179.

International air transport players continue to take advantage of the Airline Incentive Program, pitching in another four percent increase in the overall airport revenues for the month ending February 29.

A financial report obtained from CPA noted a 25 percent increase in Duty Free Shoppers’ prime concessionaire, another nine percent jump in ground rental, a 35 percent leap in car rental parking and a significant 29 percent hike in ground transportation.

Overall airport operating revenues from October 1999 to February 2000 spiraled upwards, reaching $4.7 million from $4.1 million during the same period in Fiscal Year 1999.

Primarily spurred by the Airline Incentive Program which encouraged air carriers to improve their arrival figures, human traffic at the Saipan International Airport jumped by an average of 10.5 percent despite a 18 percent reduction in aircraft landing last month.

Only about 257 aircraft landed at the international airport during the period under review, down by 57 landings from the previous year’s 314. However, enplanement inched upward to 45,602 from 41,817 in February 2000, while deplanement improved at 39,791 from 35,526.

In January, aircraft traffic at the Saipan International Airport also witnessed major reduction although the number of people disembarking at the island’s air transport facility slightly edged up.

Records obtained from the ports authority indicated fruitful results from the incentive program granting 50 percent reduction in arrival and departure fees to CNMI signatory airlines which are able to bring up their arrival figures by 15 percent from their current traffic load.

International traffic count for January disclosed an increase in enplanement by 0.23 percent and a one percent improvement in the total number of people who disembarked at the Saipan International Airport during the same period.

This, even as aircraft traffic from foreign destinations to Saipan declined by 19 percent during the period under review from the January 1999 level.

To qualify under the CPA Airline Incentive Program, airline companies need not increase flights between Saipan and foreign countries but bring in more people through upgrade in equipment or increase seating capacity.

According to CPA, Japan Airlines continues to control the market share on the number of enplanement for the month of January 2000, cornering at least 39 percent.

Figures recorded during the first six months of the fiscal year 1999 indicated that Continental Micronesia would be needing an additional 481 passengers, aside from its current 3,204 average persons per week, in order to qualify to the perks.

With its 996 average arrivals per week, Japan Airlines needs 149 passengers more; Northwest will have to lure 267 passengers in addition to its average 1,778 arrival figures; while Asiana needs 89 arrivals more in a week before they are granted incentives.

JAL is already using 747 while Continental Micronesia is in the process of upgrading its fleet to 737. Asiana is using Boeing 767 while Northwest is using DC-10 which it proposed to upgauge to 747.