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Hawaii’s ex-governor offers help in luring airlines
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Posted on Feb 22 2000
Former Governor of Hawaii John Waihee has offered his assistance in enticing more carriers to provide direct service to the CNMI and develop the U.S. market.
In a meeting with members of the Aviation Task Force yesterday, Mr. Waihee has expressed willingness to help the CNMI government in negotiating with the various airlines the possibility of servicing the routes abandoned by Continental Airlines.
According to Senate Vice President Thomas Villagomez, the former Hawaii chief executive has earlier assisted the CNMI in promoting the destination in Japan after it suffered a devastating decline in visitor arrivals during the Gulf War.
Mr. Waihee, who was accompanied by Atty. Joseph L. Manson III, is now with Honolulu-based law firm Verner Liipfert, Bernhard-McPherson & Hand.
Although the Northern Marianas has seen an improvement on visitor arrivals, Mr. Villagomez said the tourism industry has yet to completely recover from the onslaught of the Asians financial crisis. This experience has taught the CNMI the importance of widening its market base and begin enticing more Americans to visit the CNMI.
“We are doing everything that we can to get these airlines to come here. We are looking at all the options to save the tourism industry,” Mr. Villagomez said.
Mr. Villagomez, chair of the Senate Committee on Public Utilities, Transportation and Communication, said the task force will be working with Mr. Waihee in exploring charter flights for the CNMI aside from daily regular air service.
The Aviation Task Force has been holding talks with Air Nauru for a direct Saipan-Manila service after Continental Micronesia dropped the route two years ago.
Tourism officials are hoping that the planned regional airline would help increase traffic in the CNMI and save the sagging tourism economy which has been battered by the region-wide financial strife.
The Micronesian region has been severely battered by the effects of Asia’s currency crisis with the decline in tourist arrivals. In the CNMI alone, the reduction in air service by Continental Micronesia from various destinations in Japan contributed to the difficulty in enticing tourists to come here.
