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Lawmakers cautiously welcome news of more Cape Air flights
Lawmakers are cautiously welcoming news that Cape Air will be able to field more flights, now that the interisland carrier is set to operate two airplanes on its Guam-CNMI route.
Rep. Francis Taimanao (Ind-Saipan), chairman of the House Committee on Public Utilities, Transportation, and Communications, said this is “good news” for the CNMI’s traveling public.
“I just hope [Cape Air is] able to maintain this,” Taimanao said, adding that Cape Air previously had two airplanes, only to reduce the number to one.
Taimanao said his committee has yet to hear from Cape Air on the details of the additional airplane but emphasized that he welcomes additional flights.
Rep. Joseph “Lee Pan” Guerrero (R-Saipan) chairman of the House Committee on Commerce and Tourism, said he also considers the development “good news” for the CNMI.
“Hopefully, we don’t see both aircraft break down,” Guerrero said, adding that he hopes the services will improve, including flights to Rota.
The lawmaker also said if he’s going to give recommendations to Cape Air, he would ask the company to upgrade the current aircraft it uses.
“Cape Air should consider finding a more suitable aircraft, perhaps a jet, instead of the turboprop that they now operate,” Guerrero said.
He said he understands the business side of it, and that a jet might be more costly in the short term.
“I hope Cape Air is now ready to say that they are not going to encounter any more mechanical problems with these two airplanes,” Guerrero said.
The Commonwealth Ports Authority and Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (Ind-MP) on Wednesday said Cape Air/United will now fly two planes on its Guam-CNMI route.
In a Facebook post, Sablan announced that a second Cape Air/United airplane arrived on Saipan on Monday afternoon and will take about a week before it flies.
Cape and United Airlines are code share partners for the Guam-CNMI route.
CPA confirmed the arrival of the second airplanes, adding that the second aircraft was stationed at the Francisco C. Ada-Saipan International Airport.
CPA said the aircraft has to undergo flight checks before flying. The ports authority could not yet provide a date when the second plane would fly.
