GIAA: Commuter terminal was closed for safety reasons

The Guam International Airport Authority has responded to some of Star Marianas’ concerns over United Airlines’ use of GIAA’s commuter terminal for non-aeronautical purposes.

Star Marianas earlier took issue with United’s use of the terminal as their human resource department, saying GIAA was violating federal grant assurances by doing so.

Star Marianas has been trying for about two years to provide flights from the CNMI to Guam, and has found GIAA’s offer to let Star Marianas use it’s “yellow cargo building” to be unsatisfactory.

However, the commuter terminal in question has been closed for 10 years, according to Charles H. Ada II, executive manager of GIAA.

In a Sept. 22 letter to Star Marianas, Ada cited “security reasons” why both the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency closed the terminal.

United’s current lease of the terminal was made since the space was available and the airline needed it to support their operation, according to Ada.

He also explained why the terminal has not returned to commuter operations since then.

“No aircraft could be parked on its adjoining apron since safety clearances could not be met after we constructed the parallel taxiway or Taxiway Kilo,” Ada said.

He did not elaborate further on the security reasons in the letter, but noted that Star Marianas and GIAA have discussed the matter “thoroughly” in a meeting on Aug. 19.

“I was quite surprised and disappointed you raised the commuter terminal again in your letter,” he wrote.

On the “YCB” facility that GIAA is proposing for Star Marianas’ use, Ada said the “YCB” title is just an identifier and that the facility is actually a multi-purpose building.

Star Marianas, in its previous letter to GIAA, noted that the use of a cargo building would place their airline at “a distinct and obvious disadvantage” compared to United/Cape Air.

“[Star Marianas’] customers are relegated to using a facility designed for cargo,” the letter read.

Ada, in his recent letter, said GIAA recognizes the need for a permanent commuter terminal facility, and that an “Interisland Passenger Facility” project was established in 2013, with a projected 18 months for planning, design, and construction.

As reported earlier, Star Marianas believes that GIAA, under criteria of FAA order 5190.6B, which differentiates between aeronautical and non-aeronautical property, is in violation of FAA Grant Assurance 29.

Other violations were cited in previous letters to GIAA, with a couple being Grant Assurance 22 that requires an airport to be made available for public use “without unjust discrimination to all types of…aeronautical activities” and Grant 23, which essentially requires that no “exclusive rights” would be given indirectly or directly to any corporation in the use of the airport.

Ada apologized for his “delayed response” to Star Marianas’ Sept. 2 letter, as according to him, the email went to his spam folder.