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FAA willing to train pilots for Tinian
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Posted on Apr 20 2006
The Federal Aviation Administration is willing to train pilots to land on Tinian using Saipan International Airport’s instrument landing system, according to Commonwealth Ports Authority officials.
Tinian ports manager Ike Perez and CPA consultant Carlos H. Salas said in separate interviews that FAA could come anytime to train pilots of airlines that are to land on West Tinian International Airport, which currently lacks an ILS.
“FAA offered to train pilots to land on Tinian using Saipan’s ILS,” said Salas.
Perez said FAA “volunteered to train Chinese pilots” to land on Tinian.
This developed following reports that China Southern Airlines and China Eastern Airlines do not want to land on Tinian due to the absence of an ILS.
Both airlines are chartered by the Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino in partnership with Century Tours and Travel. They fly in twice a week from Shanghai and Guangzhou.
Perez said that other airlines are willing to fly charter flights to Tinian even without an ILS. He said these include Japan Airlines, Continental Airlines, Northwest, and Asiana Airlines.
“They can land without an ILS,” said Perez in a recent interview on Saipan.
He said that JAL and Continental actually fly to Palau, which has no ILS.
The Tinian International Airport has opened years back but it has not received direct flights up to now.
Last week, FAA inspector Mack Humprey said that an ILS is a good thing to have but it is not a requirement.
CPA Tinian board member Serafin Dela Cruz, for his part, said last week that the problem lies with “marketing” and not ILS.
Tinian local leaders have yet to find the funds for the purchase and installation of the airport’s own ILS. Initial estimates showed that Tinian’s ILS would cost $3.5 million.
