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House steps up efforts to entice new carriers
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Posted on Feb 16 2000
The House of Representatives is taking aggressive steps to encourage more foreign carriers to provide additional air transport services to the Northern Marianas in light of declining visitor traffic to the islands for over two years now.
House Speaker Ben Fitial yesterday expressed confidence Armenian Airlines will be able to get the approval of the U.S. Department of Transportation for the carrier to operate on Saipan.
The CNMI government, through the Economic Recovery and Revitalization’s Aviation Task Force, has been trying to encourage other foreign carriers to provide air transport services to the island following Continental Micronesia’s decision to stop direct flights to Saipan.
The House leadership’s move came in light of projections that visitors disembarking at the Saipan International Airport are expected to increase in 10 years. although arrival figures are expected to remain at lower levels than what the Northern Marianas experienced during the past decade.
A report submitted to the Commonwealth Ports Authority [CPA] disclosed that total enplanements at the Saipan International Airport are expected to jump at an annual of 4.5 percent in 10 years.
The report said impacts resulting from the Asian economic crisis are anticipated to continue through Fiscal Year 1999, and potentially into FY 2000.
The future recovery of the yen may restore passenger demand levels at the airport but at lower levels than was experienced over the past 10 years, a government-commissioned study said.
This is expected to result to a slight increase in total enplanement at the international airport until 2007.
Armenian Airlines is expected to get the huge Filipino market on the island with its plan to offer cheaper airfare and more acceptable schedule. It will however initially provide charter flights between Saipan and the Philippines.
Mr. Fitial said discussions are also underway on the possibility of the airline flying regularly between Manila and the Northern Marianas.
For many years, Continental Micronesia has cornered a big chunk of the huge Filipino market despite the unfriendly schedule which makes them wait for at least three hours at the Guam International Airport.
