“WE’RE working on something mutually acceptable to Star Marianas Air, the Commonwealth Ports Authority, the Saipan community, the community of Rota, and the community of Tinian,” Gov. Arnold I. Palacios said on Wednesday.
He met with CPA officials on Tuesday and with SMA officials on Wednesday.
He said what he discussed with SMA will be the subject of his meeting with the CPA board either this week or next week.
“We have to come up with something that is mutually acceptable to everybody,” he added. “We started to become referees now, but you know that is our jobs, to figure out how to fix these things.”
He said “different organizations, different companies, different departments sometimes have different takes on how to make things work, but it must work for everybody. It is…something that we need to do, and [we need to] remind everybody that this small community belongs to everybody. It has to work with our businesses, our facilities…this is a small community, we must make it work, it will be to the benefit of everybody, the entire community.”
Star Marianas Air has issued a notice of intent to terminate its air service by Oct. 15 due to the “unsustainable airport fee structure imposed by” CPA.
SMA issued the notice following CPA’s demand for payment of $1.2 million in “outstanding debts” for the use of airport facilities from Oct. 1, 2022, to May 2024. SMA is disputing the amount.
