THE Tinian leadership is urging the Commonwealth Ports Authority to prioritize Tinian airport infrastructure projects once CPA is ready to spend the funds from the Department of Defense Divert lease payment.
Two years ago, the CNMI government and the DoD signed a 40-year lease agreement worth $21.9 million for the U.S. Air Force’s divert airfield on Tinian.
Last week, Tinian Mayor Edwin Aldan, the Tinian Legislative Delegation chair, Sen. Francisco Q. Cruz, and Tinian Municipal Council Chairman Joseph E. Santos met with the CPA board of directors to discuss the future of Tinian airport.
They discussed, among other things, the infrastructure projects that will be funded by the Divert lease funds.
In their joint letter on Monday, Aldan, Cruz and Santos told CPA Board Chairwoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds that the Tinian leadership intends to prioritize the renovation of the airport facilities “to accommodate international charter flights as well as to provide an improved appearance and first impression for tourists.”
Moreover, they said, they would like to enhance emergency preparedness, response, and recovery for natural disasters and large scale emergencies.
The Tinian leadership wants the following airport infrastructure projects prioritized by CPA:
Fuel facility construction.
Renovation of terminals for Transportation Security Administration and Customs and Border Protection operations.
Renovation of terminal and landscaping to improve the appearance and first impression of the airport facilities.
Construction of additional hangars and/or warehouses that might be jointly used by the municipality for emergency preparedness, response, and recovery.
Purchase of a second backup generator to provide emergency power redundancy.
Purchase of maintenance equipment.
Edwin Aldan
