FAA poised to take over airport tower equipment

The Federal Aviation Administration is taking over the control of navigational aids and equipment at the Saipan International Airport tower beginning October in fresh efforts to make the Commonwealth’s air transport facilities at par with other international airports.

Ports Authority Executive Director Carlos H. Salas said FAA is actually assuming control in the maintenance of about 78 pieces of equipment at the airport tower, the runway and around the runway safety area.

“FAA will take over about 90 percent of maintenance work of most of the equipment beginning October this year. They are also eventually setting up an office on the island to do all the needed repair,” Mr. Salas said.

At least four staff of the federal aviation office will be permanently stationed on Saipan to respond to any emergency at any given time, according to the CPA official.

Under the existing setup, CPA flies in technical experts from Guam to attend to any problems on navigational aids or equipment that may hamper airport operations or delay flights.

“We pay them for their time and charges. When the FAA sets up an office here, FAA will take over the responsibilities in maintaining the equipment including 100 percent of the expenses in carrying out the task,” said Mr. Salas.

He said the new development would mean between $15,000 to 30,000 savings for the ports authority every month, adding that work is now underway to also cover Tinian and Rota airports which may be possible in the Fiscal Year 2002.

“We are now finalizing the drafting of the Memorandum of Understanding which will cover up to five years. We are targeting September 26 for the signing of the MOU in Honolulu,” he said.

CPA managed to save $600,000 from the privatization of the Saipan International Airport’s control tower beginning last year after the FAA included the island’s airport control tower in its list where aircraft traffic is good.

The privatization has helped unburden the cash-strapped ports authority of additional expenses in maintaining the control tower which now have at least 10 traffic controllers. Guam has only seven air traffic controllers.

CPA earlier explored the idea of having the FAA shoulder the expenses and tap the ports authority as the contractor of the control tower instead of contracting it out to a private company.