CPA posts higher passenger traffic

Aircraft and passenger traffic at the Saipan International Airport registered dramatic growth in financial year 2000, amid the persistently slow rally of the Commonwealth’s travel industry.

The growth was primarily spurred by incentives provided by the Commonwealth Ports Authority to signatory airlines which, in turn, worked at increasing passenger haul to and from the Northern Marianas.

Official records disclosed overall number of arriving passengers soared 18 percent in FY 2000, while off-island bound individuals totaled 594,000 during the period under review.

Based on the independent audit report released by CPA, the agency realized more than 32,000 additional off-island-bound passengers from 562,364 enplanement figures recorded in FY 1999.

However, the increase is incomparable to passenger loads registered from financial years 1996, 1997, and 1998 when the islands’ tourism industry was on its peak.

Passenger departures in 1996 totaled 790,467; 804,186 in 1997, and 597,364 in 1998.

In 1999, CPA recorded only 562,364 passenger departures, which increased to 594,966 the following year. CPA recorded the months of June, July, and August as redeeming factors when passenger haul reached 51,354; 52,248, and 53,505 respectively.

In FY2000, the ports authority recorded 567,044 international passengers bound for Northern Marianas, a significant increase from the 1998 and 1999 arrival records.

The increase seen to boost the tourism industry after two-long years of lull after the Asian flu finally affected CNMI as a prime tourist destination.

The report recorded in 1996 a total of 647,218 passengers; 647,945 in 1997; 471,880 in 1998 and 480,453 in 1999. For FY2000, CPA registered the 50,528 passenger arrival in June; 52,685 and 54,223 in July and August respectively.

Passenger haul in the first seven months of FY-2000 has exceeded the level registered during the same period last fiscal year although aircraft traffic at the Saipan International Airport lagged behind due to Continental Micronesia’s reduction of 536 flights.

In March 2000, aircraft traffic at the Saipan International Airport dropped 23 percent primarily because of Continental Micronesia’s decision to streamline operations in the Northern Marianas during the period under review.

However, increased participation by another United States and other foreign carriers like Japan Airlines, Northwest Airlines and Asiana Airlines to CPA’s aviation incentive program triggered a consistent growth in passenger traffic.

CPA last year implemented an incentive program granting 50 percent reduction in arrival and departure fees to CNMI signatory airlines that are able to bring up their arrival figures by 15 percent from their current traffic load.

To qualify under the CPA Airline Incentive Program, airline companies need not increase flights between Saipan and foreign countries but bring in more people through upgrade in equipment or increase seating capacity.

The Airline Incentive Program has been instrumental in the 16 percent increase in the operating revenues of the ports authority’s aviation division. (EGA)