Tinian ILS project is cancelled

Citing the depressed state of tourism on the island, the Tinian Legislative Delegation recently cancelled the Tinian Airport’s instrument landing system project.

Sen. Joseph Mendiola, chairman of the Tinian Legislative Delegation, yesterday disclosed that the $4 million reprogrammed money for the project will instead be used for more pressing needs at the Tinian airport.

He identified such priorities as renovations, improvement to the commuter and terminal facilities, and the sewer system.

Mendiola said the delegation is now awaiting the Commonwealth Ports Authority-recommended airport projects, along with the cost breakdown for each item.

The ILS project has been in the works since 2006. Funding and opposing views about the need to install the equipment on Tinian delayed its implementation. In November 2007 the Office of Insular Affairs approved the reprogramming of $4 million from the island’s wastewater project to the ILS.

Mendiola said the delegation will now seek OIA’s approval to reprogram anew or transfer the ILS funds to other priority projects at the Tinian airport.

The senator said one of the main factors in their decision to cancel the project was the anticipated exclusion of China from the CNMI-Guam visa waiver program. Mendiola believes that such a move will negatively impact the island’s tourist arrivals.

Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino is the lone casino operator on island, having been in business since 1998. It caters mainly to the Chinese market.

Mendiola admitted that attracting Chinese carriers to fly to Tinian was the prime reason why the delegation pushed the ILS project in the first place.

“ILS was specifically pushed to attract direct flights from China. With the anticipated exclusion of the China market from the visa waiver program, we feel this project would not make sense anymore. Our airport, without the ILS, is accommodating and can still accommodate charter flights from Japan and other places,” he told Saipan Tribune.

Mendiola believes that the OIA money would be more useful in funding the second phase of airport projects on Tinian.

Commonwealth Ports Authority executive director Efrain F. Camacho yesterday disclosed that neither the Federal Aviation Agency nor CPA had a hand in pushing for the ILS project because both entities are convinced that flights could still safely land on Tinian even without the equipment.

“The delegation has to decide whether to go or not with ILS project. As far as CPA is concerned, we can only suggest, offer, and recommend…but the decision needs to be made by themselves. One important factor to consider is the traffic demand,” he said.

Camacho said that after finalizing and completing the scope of work for the ILS, everything was turned over to the delegation.

Like CPA, the FAA had also expressed reservations about the project, Camacho said, which is why funding came from reprogrammed OIA funds and not from FAA.

“We cannot support it simply because the level of traffic is not there,” Camacho said, adding that the current traffic on Tinian doesn’t justify the need to install the equipment.

The official said that based on the last projected total cost for an ILS, some $5 million is needed—still $1 million short of the $4 million initial funding.

Saipan Tribune learned that for equipment maintenance alone, the delegation needs to allot $20,000 to $80,000 yearly.

ILS facilities are a highly accurate and dependable means of navigating to the runway. When using the ILS, the pilot determines aircraft position primarily by reference to instruments. The ILS consists of a local transmitter, glide path transmitter, outer marker, and the approach lighting system.

ILS is classified by category in accordance with the capabilities of the ground equipment. It provides the lateral and vertical guidance necessary to fly a precision approach, where glide slope information is provided.

For the Tinian airport, which is surrounded by ocean, officials believe that it may not be that necessary or crucial to install an ILS, which is usually used by bigger airports.