No plans yet for Continental to fly Tinian, Rota

Tinian and Rota may not witness the return of Continental Micronesia aircraft in the “very near future” despite ongoing capital improvements of the two islands’ air transport facilities, Bill Meehan, airline president, said yesterday.

Mr. Meehan said the company is planning to initially focus on the improvement of air transport services in Guam and Saipan, as well as consistently work at strengthening the promotion of the islands as a major destination.

“We are still trying to get back on our feet on Saipan. We don’t foresee launching of flight services to either Tinian or Rota in the near future although we will continue to monitor the demand for both islands,” he told a media conference.

Mr. Meehan’s pronouncement that Continental is not ready to re-launch services to either Tinian or Rota is sure to frustrate Mayor Benjamin T. Manglona, who has raised hopes the airline will resume regular flights to the island once the runway work is completed.

Mr. Manglona has said Continental Micronesia assured him that its decision to suspend flights to and from Rota was only temporary, and that air transport service to the island will be resumed as soon as the runway repair is completed.

Construction of the Rota International Airport runway is expected to kick off in January 2001 by Nippon Hodo Construction Limited which offered to undertake the project at a cost of $2.79 million. The winning bid includes remarking, regrooving and rehabilitation works at the island’s airport runway.

The Rota International Airport runway rehabilitation is financed through the Capital Improvement Project funds with up to $450,000 in appropriation from the Federal Aviation Administration’s airport improvement plan.

Continental Micronesia raised the need for rehabilitation of the Rota airport’s runway when it suspended Boeing 727 turbojet service to the island, citing reasons of low braking effectiveness.

The Commonwealth Ports Authority and Tinian officials earlier expressed optimism Continental will be among CNMI signatory carriers to first launch services to Tinian once the construction of the island’s new multi-million runway is completed.

Discussions between CPA officials and airline executives have been started while the project is ongoing for their possible deployment of nonstop flights from major countries in Asia to Tinian, which is home to the only casino-gambling facility in the Northern Marianas.

“We have talked with executives of Continental Micronesia, Japan Airlines, Northwest Airlines, Asiana Airlines and Mandarin Air for possible direct services to Tinian,” CPA Executive Director Carlos H. Salas said in a previous interview.

Continental Micronesia’s decision to abandon all direct international flights to the Northern Marianas last year resulted in the CNMI’s lost of at least 64 percent of its total air transport services in 1997.

Government statistics disclosed Continental Micronesia reduced its services to Saipan by 64 percent between 1997 and 1999, bringing only 74,000 passengers into the CNMI last year.