Wendi L. Prater, CPA contract administrator and chairwoman of the workshop committee, said there are 89 registered participants to the workshop which will be held in the Hibiscus Hall of Fiesta Resort & Spa Saipan.
Prater also said the committee has the draft agenda for the workshop but has yet to receive FAA’s feedback. “There are some confirmations that need to be made from the FAA side.”
Based on the committee’s registration records, there’ll be at least two representatives from Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Palau, Marshall Islands, and Federated States of Micronesia.
The workshop annually draws stakeholders, airline and aviation industry partners and foreign officials including those coming from the various federal agencies.
This year, CPA said 15 FAA officials have so far confirmed their attendance.
Prater said Saipan hosted the workshop four times in the past with the 2008 workshop as its last.
That workshop was attended by 97 representatives from FAA, the regional airports, and other stakeholders.
CPA also said some FAA officials who may be attending the workshop are William C. Withycombe, regional administrator; Faviola Garcia, FAA special programs staff; Barry Brayer, special programs manager; and Ronald Simpson, manager, FAA Airports District Office in Honolulu.
In 2010, Hawaii co-hosted the event with FAA at the Hilton Waikiki/Prince Kuhio Hotel April 13-15 with the theme “Strengthening Aviation Safety in the Pacific through Planning and Leadership, 2010-2020.”
Brayer welcomed the guests with Withycombe delivering the welcoming remarks.
The directors of the airports presented reports to FAA. Ron Simpson talked about aviation outlook for the airports in the region.
Edward Deleon Guerrero, CPA executive director, and Carlos Salas, former CPA executive director and now, executive director of the Guam International Airport Authority represented the CNMI and Guam.
FAA is meeting the directors of the ports authority separately on March 31 to discuss the progress of federally funded projects.
