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NMI to participate in aviation safety forum
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Posted on Jul 19 2000
Some 70 airport managers from islands around the American Pacific and the mainland United States will gather in Los Angeles this week to discuss aviation safety in a two-day workshop sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Commonwealth Ports Authority Executive Director Carlos H. Salas is scheduled to leave for Los Angeles with two members of the CPA Board of Directors who will discuss issues on the Tinian breakwater and the Rota airport with FAA officials.
Mr. Salas said the workshop is aimed at discussing future improvements and continued maintenance of the air transport facilities in the several Pacific-island states that are under the administration of the FAA.
He added measures to improve revenue-generating capabilities of the island-states’ airports will also be tackled during the two-day conference.
In an interview with reporters, Mr. Salas said the workshop will highlight the reports on the accomplishments of airport administrations throughout the mainland U.S. and the American Pacific.
This early, CPA is already poised at making Northern Marianas airports at par with facilities from other countries, by crafting a long-term improvement plan for the Saipan International Airport that includes the expansion of its runway safety zone.
CPA’s efforts in drawing up plans aimed at improving the islands’ transit facilities have been prompted by problems relating to transportation which have long been identified to be major a major factor in the apparently stagnating economic activity in the CNMI.
The agency is also looking at expanding the runway of the Saipan International Airport from 8,600 feet to 10,600 feet since its current capacity restricts the facility from accommodating direct flights from the mainland U.S., a government report said.
At present, the airport can only receive flights from the closer Asian cities. The facility hosts an air carrier apron that has parking position for six aircraft. With these, it can accommodate expected growth in the tourism industry in the near future even without expansion.
