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Eight off to FAA workshop in Honolulu
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Posted on Mar 27 2005
An eight-member delegation from the Commonwealth Ports Authority will leave for Honolulu, Hawaii next week to attend the annual, federally sponsored Pacific Aviation Directors’ Workshop.
The CPA delegates are executive director Carlos Salas, aircraft rescue firefighting chief Stanley Torres, engineer John Sablan, engineering administrative assistant Wendi Prater, plant account manager Francis Mafnas, Rota ports manager Benjamin Manglona, and board member Barbara Yamada.
The Federal Aviation Administration is footing the bill for the first four delegates, while some $8,000 has been budgeted for the travel expenses of the three others, Salas said.
“Our role at the workshop will be to meet with Micronesian airport officials in view of the recent signing of a memorandum of agreement that tasks CPA to administer federal grants for the other island airports,” Salas said.
Signed between the FAA and CPA on March 10, 2005, the agreement grants the ports authority the responsibility to oversee funds for airport improvement projects in Palau, Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands.
The agreement came pursuant to the jurisdictions’ recently negotiated Compacts with the United States, which entitled the freely associated states to the federal government’s airport improvement program.
At the Honolulu workshop, two additional training sessions are scheduled specifically for managers and officials of the island airports.
The workshop will also include a field visit to the Honolulu International Airport and a tour of the Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Facilities. Further, there will be discussion on air transportation issues, AIP grant requirements, runway safety standards, and recently approved aviation technologies, Salas said.
The workshop, with the theme “Enhancing Partnerships in Aviation Safety & Infrastructure Development,” will run from April 5 to 7.
