Feds’ help sought on Rota air service ‘crisis’

Rota’s lack of air transportation has gotten so bad that more residents have taken to using speed boats and other small sea vessels to reach Guam and vice versa. Senators led by Sen. Paul Manglona (Ind-Rota) are turning to the U.S. Department of Transportation for help as air service seats from Rota to both Guam and Saipan have gone down by more than 50 percent in total and without formal notification to the federal government beyond the 33-percent reporting threshold.

Manglona told the federal agency that an “air service crisis” is happening on Rota.

The senator said more Rota residents are now using speed boats, for example, to travel between Rota and Guam.

“They are taking the chance with two to three hours travel by boat from Rota to Guam, and three to four hours from Guam to Rota. They don’t have a choice. It’s their last option because there are very limited air seats to and from Rota,” Manglona told Saipan Tribune yesterday.

At the same time, Manglona, Sen. Pete Reyes (Ind-Saipan), and other senators are requesting United Airlines, Star Marianas, and any other airline to participate in DOT’s Essential Air Service, or EAS, Program to provide regularly scheduled flights to Rota.

Sen. Jovita Taimanao (Ind-Rota) said last night that the “limited flights and seats to and from Rota” have become more pronounced in recent period, and caused some off-island visitors to miss this year’s Pacific Islands Bilingual and Bicultural Association Conference on Rota this week. The PIBBA conference is from June 23 to 26.

“The flights and seats are limited. Some residents travel between Rota and Guam by boat, that’s three to four hours in calm waters,” she said. “Rota used to have an almost daily flight, except Wednesdays, courtesy of Cape Air but that went down to only a few days a week. Freedom Air has ran into financial problems. Star Marianas also provides limited flights, and could charter flights for almost $800 per flight I believe.”

On Saturday, Manglona wrote a letter to Susan Kurland, assistant secretary for aviation and international affairs under DOT’s Office of the Under Secretary for Policy, requesting help with Rota’s air service crisis through the EAS Program.

The letter was sent a day after senators took turns discussing during a session possible ways to address Rota’s air service woes.

Manglona cited Section 323.2(a)(2) of DOT’s aviation economic regulations. This requires carriers to file a 90-day notice if they intend to suspend their operation, especially if the plan would result in a reduction of total seats by at least 33 percent linking the point (Rota) to Federal Aviation Administration-designated hubs; in this case Saipan and Guam, the senator said.

The senator said Freedom Air’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District Court of Guam in late 2013 eventually resulted in a reduction “of more than 50 percent of the Rota seats to both Guam and Saipan this year.”

Freedom Air used to provide two daily non-stop flights to both Saipan and Guam with their 33-seat Shorts 330 aircraft.

With the reduction in seats and flights to and from Rota, residents have to make two-week advance flight reservation to secure a seat.

“This is oftentimes problematic for many residents, especially those who are seeking medical attention and education and business opportunities on Saipan or Guam and beyond,” Manglona told DOT’s Kurland in his two-page letter.

Manglona said even though Freedom Air has not officially informed Kurland’s office of its air service suspension as a result of their financial difficulties, “technically this is what happened.”

The senator pointed out that DOT’s minimum essential air service determination for Rota “is not currently being met, and it appears that this situation will continue for at least a year, if it even gets resolved in court.”

The senator hopes that Kurland’s office can assist the CNMI by working with the Commonwealth Ports Authority, the local agency tasked with managing the CNMI’s airports, and existing airlines so they can be informed of the requirements for providing air service under DOT’s EAS Program.

Tomorrow, Manglona is set to formally introduce Senate Joint Resolution 18-8, requesting United Airlines, Star Marianas, and any other airline to participate in DOT’s EAS Program to provide regularly scheduled flights to Rota.