Continental Air Micronesian aka “Air Mike” was not always this way. They got their Micronesian Route established here on Saipan during the TT days of the 1960’s and early 70’s by promising to provide ongoing service and getting the support of Saipan and the building of the Continental Hotel (now the Hyatt) and other islands in Micronesia, such as the Palau Continental, the Chuuk Continental and Guam Continental to get the route. Now, they oppose any and all attempts to bring in other airlines to service the region even though the greed-based execs at Continental refuse to do so themselves. The service they provide the CNMI via Cape Air has deteriorated so badly that visitors traveling to Rota are forced to divert through Guam and the planes have come to be called “flying sauna boxes” due to the hot, cramped and below standard conditions passengers are subjected to.
We must stand firm and protest the protesters. We must ask our Washington delegate to lobby the U.S. Department of Transportation which doles out air routes to those who have connections and contribute to the right PACs, to instead give fairness a shake and allow direct air access to any and all comers. It is a public necessity. Saipan, Tinian and Rota need the availability of the Low Cost Carriers and also the Branded Flag carriers bringing visitors from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Russia, Australia and of course our major markets of Japan and Korea.
Competition drives prices down and seat availability up. $250 round trip to the CNMI from Guam? Ridiculous.
You can fly across the U.S. for thousands of miles for that airfare. You can fly several hundred miles in “commuter” style flights for well under a hundred bucks. But Continental wants to keep any and all competition out of the Micronesian marketplace so they can control prices here. We are their biggest percentage profit center. And why not, they can stick it to us because they control a virtual monopoly.
When the competition wants to expand as is the case with Fly Micronesia growing out of the current Freedom Air using capital and expertise from Asia, Continental wants to crush it. Grudgingly they service Saipan by allowing Cape Air to use their licensed route, (for a fat fee), but at the heart of it all Continental is no friend of the CNMI.
Fine, let’s just break away and negotiate our own air seat capability with free and open skies. You know the American way — competition.
I hope this will be read by the regulators back in Washington so they can see how bad this has become and take action on our behalf. They can apply solutions that will help fill the Department of Defense’s new needs as they build up force strength here in the Marianas. Those changes will help the traveling public as well as our men in uniform. Please help us achieve “Open Skies” DoD, Department of State and the Department of the Interior.
REP. STANLEY MCGINNIS TORRES
17th CNMI Legislature
