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Airlines oppose Guam’s open sky request
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Posted on Apr 12 2006
Continental Airlines and Northwest Airlines have opposed Guam’s open-sky petition with the U.S. Department of Transportation, according Commonwealth Ports Authority consultant Carlos H. Salas.
“The airlines—Continental and Northwest—have objected to Guam’s petition. Even the association of pilots. Well, U.S. carriers are naturally going to oppose providing foreign air carriers flexibility in air routes,” said Salas.
This development, he said, would not stop the CNMI from pursuing its plan to make a similar petition with the federal government. Salas said the Guam experience would actually help the CNMI with its own open-sky request.
“In a way, we are getting the benefits of that kind of objection. We’d have the advantage to tweak or adjust our petition to make it more workable with the U.S. airlines,” said Salas.
He said the CNMI is pushing for an open-sky policy or air expansion service so that low-cost air carriers could into the CNMI and foreign carriers would have the flexibility to fly to the CNMI and an additional U.S. destination.
Right now, he said, foreign carriers such as Asiana is prohibited from flying Seoul-Saipan-Guam but rather Seoul-Saipan-Seoul.
“We are seeking for removal of restrictions to fly to other U.S. destinations. We want carriers flying to the CNMI to have that flexibility,” said Salas.
He said the CNMI is a unique jurisdiction whose main economy—tourism—depends on air travel.
CPA currently retains a Washington D.C.-based aviation law firm, Hogan & Hartson, to draft a petition paper to the U.S. Transportation Department. Salas said the contract with the firm costs $15,000 for “upfront work.”
