CNMI’s Star Marianas Air resumes shuttle flights
Star Marianas Air (Tinian) has reportedly resumed on-demand and air taxi operations between Saipan, Tinian, and Rota Int’l in the Northern Marianas Islands – a US commonwealth in the Pacific Ocean – while negotiations continue for a solution to its long-standing USD2.6 million lease dispute with the Commonwealth Ports Authority (CPA).
Micronesian newspaper Marianas Variety reports Star Marianas Air President Shaun Christian, in a letter to CPA chairwoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds, has proposed calling on the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to answer questions that form the core of the dispute. These include fees assessment under a compensatory rate methodology and whether newly amended CPA regulations have assessed the appropriate fees and charges based on the type of aircraft the airline uses.
Christian informed King-Hinds that the airline has resumed its on-demand and air taxi operations and is also “diligently moving forward, largely based on the CPA’s recent good faith gestures and assurances, to request permission [from the US Department of Transportation] to restore commuter services to the CNMI [Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands]”.
Local lawmaker Senator Paul Manglona had also urged his constituents to support the airline, saying, “hopefully in a few weeks, SMA will resume their regular flight service,” the newspaper said.
The commuter airline did not announce the resumption of its scheduled flights. On December 1, on social media, it announced it was organising charter flights between Rota and Saipan “until a determination can be made as to if/when commercial service may resume”. This followed the suspension of commercial services until further notice due to renewed risks presented by the Omicron COVID-19 variant.
According to a statement by CNMI Governor Ralph Torres, temporary restrictions have been imposed from December 6 to December 19 to curb the spread of the new variant, which has seen a spike from zero to 110 new cases between November 4 and December 14, 2021. Restrictions include a curfew, vaccination verifications, limits on social gatherings, and the closure of all non-essential government offices.
According to the ch-aviation schedules module, Star Marianas Air is scheduled to provide up to 10 rotations daily between Saipan and Tinian between December 11, 2021, and January 1, 2021, using a Piper (twin piston) PA-32-300. According to the airline’s website, it has eight PA-32-300 Cherokee Sixes and five PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftains in its fleet.