Star Marianas’ access to Guam appears indefinite

Both Star Marianas Air and Rota Municipal Council treasurer Frank Atalig dispute the “safety reasons” being cited by Guam International Airport Authority for closing its commuter terminal. SMA believes they have documented evidence suggesting otherwise, and Atalig called GIAA’s alleged security precautions “a total lie.”

Right now, the commuter terminal is the center of a complaint SMA filed with the Federal Aviation Administration. SMA asserts that the terminal is being used by GIAA for “non-aeronautical purposes.” The terminal is leased to United Airlines as a human resource department.

According to GIAA spokeswoman Rolenda Faasuamalie on Tuesday, “no commuter operations have occurred on the site” for well over 14 to 15 years.

“In our airport layout plan approved by the FAA, those parking areas are clearly identified and there have been no parking in that area since it has been repurposed many years ago,” she said.

GIAA has told SMA that they are not allowed to park at the terminal because of safety issues in regards to wingtip clearance hazards created by the construction of a parallel taxiway, according to SMA president Shaun Christian.

This taxiway, Taxiway Kilo, makes it so that “no aircraft could be parked on [the terminal’s] adjoining apron,” according to Charles H. Ada in a letter to SMA in September.

Ada has told Star Marianas that the area is closed and no aircraft can park in the area, but according to Christian, during their last meeting two weeks ago, they saw aircraft parked at the same site.

Christian said that since that September letter STAR has documented instances of aircraft parked in the closed site. These pictures were submitted as part of STAR’s formal complaint to the FAA but, according to Christian, the FAA has not responded directly to SMA on this evidence. Saipan Tribune learned that FAA would not consider their formal complaint, as an informal investigation is still underway.

In an interview, Atalig called the safety reasons GIAA has cited as “a total lie.”

“Every single time I go to Guam, there is aircraft there parked [in that area]. They said it cannot be used as a commuter terminal because we cannot park there [as] they are using that [area] as traffic for jumbos…But that’s not the case. If you go there and see for yourself, within a week you’ll see a plane park,” he said.

“There was a private plane parked in front of the commuter terminal three times as big as the 9-seater that we used to go there,” he said.

For SMA’s part, Christian would like more clarity on this.

“Either say it’s safe or it’s not safe. It’s either opened or closed. From our perspective, it sure didn’t seem to be unsafe, and nor did it seem to be closed,” he said.

SMA brought up the issue with GIAA, but according to Christian they were told that until GIAA paints “Xs” there, they are still letting aircraft in.

He said normally if airports close off an area they are required to paint Xs indicating that it is an unsafe area to taxi in or park in. But just because there are painted Xs on the ground doesn’t mean the area is unsafe, he added.

Atalig and SMA learned that these markings will be drawn in coming weeks, but to Atalig, GIAA’s plan to draw lines that justify the area for bigger planes is “an intentional plan to suppress commuter traffic.”

The Marinas Visitors Authority, in its most recent tourism master plan in 2012, cited “the lack of adequate transportation” that “has resulted in a severe economic depression” for Rota.

Atalig indicated that this depression has continued for Rota after the CNMI lost another airline when Freedom Air ceased its flights earlier this year.

He said the local Rota people will attest that “the present situation is hell.” He said lack of reliable flights kills the economy of the island

He said tour agents do not want to send tourists to Rota because there is no guarantee for reliable transportation back to Saipan or Guam the same day. Before, he said, tourists would spend a day tour on Rota before heading back to Saipan or Guam.

But with the current situation, “not one tour company is interested in the market,” he claimed.

“If STAR operated between Guam and Rota, they would not be subjected to TSA screening, therefore…there will be a free flow of traffic,” he said.

“I consider the present situation a trade barrier with respect to tourists, and also local people traveling between the islands.”

Right now, the facility proposed for STAR use is a “Yellow Cargo Building.” Atalig expressed his frustration with the building as he claims it does not have restroom, a waiting lounge, or amenities for the elderly or the disabled.

Saipan Tribune learned that GIAA will be “going out to bid” on the renovation for the facility, but the timeline for that appears indefinite heading into the New Year. The proposed facility is a vacant warehouse type space and rooms suitable for offices.

“[The facility] would need to be entirely renovated for the…charter services that Star Marianas proposes to provide,” according to GIAA’s Faasuamalie.

“The timeline [for renovation] is entirely dependent upon the consensus of regulatory parties to the design, and subject to the Government of Guam procurement procedures for solicitation of construction services which dictates specific times for advertisement and open solicitation, review of bids or proposals and negotiation of services/fees, if any,” she told Saipan Tribune.

STAR would like CNMI leaders to assist in their efforts to gain access to Guam. Both Atalig and Christian have engaged in leadership meetings with GIAA, but what seems to happen, according to Christian, is that the Guam and Rota leaders have been pushed by GIAA to meet separately.

Atalig, who managed to attend both meetings, attested to the same. He said “the politicians were not allowed to go into the meeting with” Guam airport officials.

Christian said the last time they tried a leadership meeting they “segregated the politicians away from the airport and airlines-side of the meeting.”

In an interview, Rep. Lorenzo Guerrero (Ind-Saipan), House Public Utilities, Transportation, and Communications chair, said he would like to sit down with STAR to “clarify the issues.” He said he hopes for things to be settled in a “diplomatic” manner.

Christian agreed, and indicated that he would be happy to meet with Guerrero.

“We’re trying not to fight with the airport…It doesn’t work well with any respect especially ours, because we worry about retaliation…if the leadership wants to take it on and assist us, we’d be very happy for the help,” he said.