Taga Air to invest $1M for new Tinian hangar

Taga Air Charter Services plans to invest some $1 million for a new hangar within the West Tinian International Airport, in line with plans to acquire additional aircraft and eventually transform itself into an international airline.

Taga Air president Alfred Yue said the move is part of its commitment to develop Tinian as a tourist destination, as casino investors line up for their respective multi-million-dollar ventures on the island. Taga Air is affiliated with Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino.

In a letter to Commonwealth Ports Authority executive director Lee Cabrera, Yue said Taga Air will soon secure the necessary licenses to operate bigger aircraft, including Boeing 757 and Airbus aircraft.

“We are also committed to develop Taga Air as a local airline to provide air services to tourists, as well as the CNMI people. Presently, we are upgrading our certification to basic 135, then in no time, Taga Air will work on the 121 license which allows it to operate much bigger aircraft, B757, Airbus, etc.,” Yue said.

“Our vision is to make Taga an international airline that we no longer need to rely solely on foreign air carrier’s mercy for air services,” he added.

After investing more than $1.5 million to upgrade its air service late last year, Taga Air disclosed it is planning to acquire two additional aircraft similar to the ones it is using right now. Taga Air began regular nightly charter services between Saipan and Tinian last November, using nine six-seater planes.

“With the fast growing pace of Taga Air, an expansion of the hangar is absolute. The hangar is not only used for daily and scheduled maintenance; most important of all, [the hangar] provides a safe shelter for the aircraft during typhoon,” Yue said.

Effective March 1, 2005, Taga Air leased from the CPA 8,211 square feet of hangar space within the Tinian airport. Taga Air disclosed it has invested some $200,000 to renovate the hangar and has allotted some $50,000 for further improvement of the facility, which it is leasing for a five-year term, renewable for two additional terms.

“As it is, the space in the hangar can only shelter five aircraft and it is imperative to find extra space for other planes once typhoon is here,” Yue said.

Taga Air wants to lease from CPA a 20,000 square feet of land within the Tinian airport, which it will develop into another hangar. Taga Air projects to spend $1 million to develop a new hangar. The CPA board conditionally approved the request in a meeting last Thursday.