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CNMI submits open skies petition to the feds
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Posted on Apr 03 2009
The CNMI submitted an open skies petition to the U.S. Department of Transportation, essentially asking the federal government to lift restrictions that prevent foreign carriers from flying to and from the Commonwealth.
The CNMI is asking the federal department to grant the CNMI waivers to expand its air service to include Australia, China and Japan carriers.
The petition asks the Department to use the same consideration it has with Guam’s petition, which has sough the inclusion of Australia, China and Japan.
However, acting Attorney General Gregory Baka wrote in the petition, some factors unique to the Commonwealth should also be taken into account.
Compared to Guam, the CNMI faces more challenging economic circumstances due to the loss of the garment industry; lack of a U.S. military presence; lower level air service; a greater loss of tourism revenues; and infrastructure shortfalls.
Baka also pointed out the Covenant agreement between the CNMI and the United States requires the U.S to encourage foreign countries to treat the Commonwealth as a developing country, with respect to exports and trade. Also, the Covenant mandates the federal government assist the CNMI in achieving a higher standard of living for its people and give “sympathetic consideration” to the views of the CNMI on international matters affecting the Northern Mariana Islands.
“Thus, the Covenant constitutes positive law that the department must apply in weighing more generalized arguments from U.S. carriers decrying amorphous negotiating harm suffered through grants of unilateral extrabilateral rights for carriers from the People’s Republic of China and Japan, neither of which is a current source of foreign-flag scheduled air passenger or cargo service to the CNMI,” the petition stated.
Despite limited resources, Baka was able to prepare the petition, saving the CNMI government thousands of dollars in outside legal fees, something Gov. Benigno Fitial is pleased with, said Charles Reyes, press secretary for the Governor’s Office, in a message to the media. In the past, outside counsel was hired to perform the work.
