William Withycombe, FAA administrator for the Western Pacific Region, said their biggest concern right now is how to sustain the Airport Improvement Program, or AIP, in the territories of Guam and Northern Marianas as well as in the Freely Associated States: the Marshall Islands, Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia — Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei and Yap.
Withycombe is on Saipan to participate in the three-day 2011 Pacific Aviation Directors Workshop that the Commonwealth Ports Authority is hosting.
“The federal government is looking at every budget of all agencies and ours is no exemption and the Airport Improvement Program is one of those that we continuously strive to maintain,” he told reporters.
The proposed $4 billion FAA budget cut is pending in the U.S. Congress.
“There is this cut that has been proposed in Congress. It has not been finalized by both the Senate and the House so we’re waiting to see what the final budget will be,” Withycombe said.
The FAA official said their office plans to further modernize the islands’ airports to keep up with safety issues and help them provide better service to tourists.
He said airports are important economic engines for the islands and their tourism-based economies.
If the FAA’s budget is cut, some projects may be shelved, he added.
During the first day of the workshop at the Fiesta Resort & Spa, airport managers shared their concerns over environmental challenges they face at their facilities.
These include seawater seeping into the runway and asphalt damaged due to high tides.
The workshop continues today with aviation officials discussing the Guam military buildup and airspace issue in the Marianas.
