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UNITED SUSPENDS AFTERNOON FLIGHTS STARTING MARCH 30
‘These are times like we’ve never seen or experienced’
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Posted on Mar 13 2020
Nearly half of the Commonwealth Ports Authority’s $15-million consolidated operational budget is funded by aviation revenue, so when airplanes are not landing and tourists are not coming or going, that means CPA is not making any money.
CPA board chair Kimberlyn King-Hinds underscored this point Wednesday after confirming that United Airlines has officially notified CPA about suspending its flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays beginning March 30 through April 30.
She said CPA appreciates the advance notice and their continued strong partnership with United Airlines. “We pledge to continue to find ways and work collaboratively with all of our industry partners to endure these unprecedented challenging times,” King-Hinds said.
It must be noted, though, that, given the continued proliferation of COVID-19 globally and the extraordinary measures that countries are implementing to contain the outbreak—with citizens in the millions now being quarantined—people should expect that the CNMI’s travel and tourism industry will be hit the hardest, she said.
This lack of plane traffic, King-Hinds said, will also have a definite impact on CPA’s sources of non-aviation revenues—which rely on planes landing and tourists walking through the airport—to make their income.
“These are times like we’ve never seen or experienced,” she said.
Acknowledging this sad state of affairs, King-Hinds said the only spot of hope for now is that things will get better sooner rather than later.
“But hope is not a plan. And the best thing we can do right now is plan for the worst-case scenario and to stay informed about what’s going on so that we don’t participate in the dissemination of misinformation and further exacerbate an already stressful situation,” she said.
This, the chairwoman added, should not just be the responsibility of the government but that of every citizen who must all rise above the petty and come together to do their part to provide solace and comfort to the community and “really live what it means to be Marianas strong.”
