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CPA upbeat on airport’s new luggage handling system
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Posted on Jan 27 2009
The Francisco C. Ada-Saipan International Airport will soon use the much-awaited baggage handling system that would speed up the processing in the departure and check-in counters at the airport.
CPA executive director Efrain Camacho said last Saturday that they are expecting the Federal Aviation Administration to certify the equipment in the next few weeks.
“Maybe early next month…we will begin using them as soon as FAA certified it,” he told Saipan Tribune.
Costing about $15 million, the new system is part of a major project funded by the FAA and was completed in May 2007.
The same project also includes an explosive detection system vital in the screening at the airport.
Saipan Tribune learned that the certification process was delayed due to mechanical problems identified during the trial run of the new equipment.
Last December, engineers of the manufacturer of the baggage handling system were on island to fix the problems.
Once certified, old scanners will be removed from the baggage counters and replaced by the new technology to speed up the operation.
Airport baggage runs through EDS and BHS as part of the screening process as required by Transportation and Security Administration.
Camacho said this development is just one of the many improvements to be seen at the airport’s operation.
Last week, FAA representatives were on a two-day visit to the CNMI, inquiring on the possible airport projects that could be funded by the proposed economic stimulus package of President Obama.
A list of priority airport projects were asked from CNMI, Guam, Palau, and other Pacific islands.
In the Commonwealth, Camacho said the Saipan airport runway rehabilitation and the public address system are among the priority projects they will ask to be included in the stimulus economic package.
