Dedication ceremony for renaming Saipan airport

The Commonwealth Ports Authority is inviting the public to an official ceremony tomorrow, March 31, 2005, at 10am, to dedicate the renaming of the Saipan International Airport into the Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport.

Because of his vision, pioneering efforts and contributions in the development of Saipan International Airport as a District Administrator during the Trust Territory days, Ada was recognized by the 13th Legislature and Gov. Juan N. Babauta with the passage of Saipan Local Law No. 13-10, which renamed the airport the Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport.

As a District Administrator in the early 1970s, Ada was instrumental in developing the Saipan International Airport by taking advantage of grants made available by the National Airport Airways Development Act and heeding the advice of a nationally ranked airport consultant for modern terminal facilities.

Ada also spearheaded the formation of an Airline Technical Committee to create government and private sector partnership for purposes of assisting the construction of a new airport. Ada also had the foresight of establishing a self-sustaining agency to operate the airport by pursuing the creation of the Mariana Islands Airport Authority, which later became the Commonwealth Ports Authority.

The airport was built from monies provided by federal grants, the Department of the Interior, and funds generated by bidding the airport’s prime concession rights.

Today, the CNMI has become a very popular tourist destination every year for over half a million Asians from major cities in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China and Philippines. The airport facilities have also grown over the years to accommodate the demand from increased passenger traffic by expanding the airport terminal buildings, taxiways and runway facilities.

CPA currently handles over $60 million of airport capital improvement projects, of which majority are funded by the FAA. Air service and long-haul flights have since improved, providing easy and convenient access to many other destinations for local travelers who travel for leisure, medical attention, to visit friends and relatives, and to attain quality education in the U.S. mainland.

“The airport now serves as one of the lifeline of our economy as thousands of visitors arrive and depart daily while nearly 1,000 local employees are employed at the airport by either the private or government sector. The CPA is proud of its commitment to providing quality customer services and addressing airline needs while remaining competitive within the region. Because of its accomplishments and track record, the CPA is now regarded in the region as a leader in aviation industry,” the agency said in a statement.