Previous Story
3 main challenges stymie direct int’l flights to Tinian
The door to direct flights from Asia to Tinian may rest on a defunct departure terminal’s repair and the required presence of security and processing personnel, according to Commonwealth Ports Authority’s acting executive director Ed Mendiola yesterday.
Right now, Mendiola said, the lack of Customs and Border Protection and Transportation Security Administration personnel, as well as an inoperable departure terminal are the “main challenges” to direct international flights for Tinian.
“CBP and TSA are not there yet. Processing of international passengers will not be possible until such time,” he said.
One airline from China did express an interest in direct flights to the island but it “never materialized,” he said.
Which would come first, the security or the jet planes? That would be on the initiative of an interested party to inform these agencies of their intention to fly to Tinian, Mendiola said.
“[CPA] has no part in that. We just provide the facility, and they do their thing,” he said.
Tinian’s departure terminal, whose renovation has been ongoing since 2009, has never been in use, according to Mendiola. Its construction started in 2005.
Once that project is completed, he said, CPA should be in better shape to accommodate international flights to Tinian.
Right now, he said, the existing Tinian runway is “more than adequate” for direct flights.
Joe Mendiola, Tinian’s airport manager, said that CPA’s engineering division has already selected a contractor to renovate Tinian’s terminal but no notice-to-proceed has been given yet.
Wendi Prater, CPA’s executive assistant for its engineering division, is off-island and could not be reached for comment as of press time.
