Gregorio Kilili Sablan in a congressional hearing
Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan
U.S. Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan wants the CNMI to regain its eligibility for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Essential Air Service program.
Established by the Airline Deregulation Act, the EAS program ensures that smaller communities retain a link to the National Air Transportation System with federal subsidy when necessary.
In his letter to Commonwealth Ports Authority Executive Director Christopher Tenorio on Wednesday, Kilili extended his full support to CPA’s efforts to seek federal assistance in maintaining airport operations, reducing airport costs and attracting new air carriers.
Kilili said he recognizes that recent super typhoons devastated the islands, followed by the Covid-19 pandemic that has gutted revenues across all CNMI ports.
These compounding disasters, he said, have likewise crippled tourism, the CNMI’s sole economic industry, making a speedy recovery even more unlikely.
He said the CNMI’s ports have clearly been harmed by the severe downturn in air service resulting in a precipitous decline in revenue, so “I support CPA’s efforts to seek the necessary financial assistance to maintain operations and keep our airports functioning optimally for the traveling public.”
To ensure that lasting, reliable and affordable commercial air service is always available to visitors and residents, particularly on Rota and Tinian, “I am seeking to have the Marianas communities regain eligibility in the Department of Transportation’s Essential Air Service program.”
Kilili said CNMI communities were originally eligible for EAS subsidies but were not using them when the programs of the Federal Aviation Administration were authorized in 2012, thus losing eligibility along with over 600 other locations across the country.
As the U.S. Congress develops an FAA authorization bill for 2024, Kilili told Tenorio that he is working to amend the EAS program to make the CNMI eligible for subsidy once again, “so that our communities will always have at least a minimal level of scheduled air service.”
If successful, Kilili said this change will not automatically take place, but it will ensure that EAS assistance is available to the CNMI if needed.
