Call for CNMI leaders to fight back on high airfares
Supplied / United Airlines
Former Northern Mariana Islands lawmaker Edwin K. Propst taken to social media to urge leaders to "go to war" with United Airlines over what he claims are exorbitant airfares between Saipan and Guam.
The call to action comes amid renewed efforts to reinstate the Essential Air Service program in the CNMI and push for a cabotage exemption.
"Attention all leaders of the Marianas in the public and private sector, it is time to go to war with this airline," Propst wrote.
The former representative, who now works at the CNMI broadband policy and development office, shared his frustration after attempting to book a four-day roundtrip ticket from Guam to Saipan in June - to find the lowest available fare was US$767.
"For a 25-minute flight?!
"They have just made record-breaking profits and instead of rewarding their customers, they increase their prices."
Propst called the airfares "devastating" to the local economy and tourism.
The CNMI is currently seeking exemption from federal cabotage restrictions, which bar foreign airlines from operating domestic routes between US territories such as Guam and the CNMI.
Governor Arnold Palacios mentioned this effort during his State of the Commonwealth Address, saying he had "actively advocated for potential cabotage waiver [and] essential air services" in recent talks with federal agencies and congressional leaders.
Palacios emphasized the importance of improved regional connectivity to support the CNMI's tourism-dependent economy.
Senate public utilities, transportation and communications committee chair, Senator Jude Hofschneider called Propst's complaints a "sad reality of economic times," adding that United's pricing is "likely a business decision by the air carrier".
Still, Hofschneider said the moment calls for greater support of Congresswoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds' bill introduced in April to requalify CNMI airports for the Essential Air Service (EAS) program. If passed, the measure would allow federal subsidies to fund daily round-trip flights even if commercial carriers withdraw service.
A quote from CWM Travel International showed a Saipan-Guam roundtrip departing 8 June 8 and returning 12 June costing $420 - significantly cheaper than Propst's booking but still high for an inter-island flight.
The EAS program, created in 1978 and stripped from CNMI eligibility in 2012, was intended to preserve air access for small US communities.
King-Hinds' bill seeks to restore eligibility to Saipan, Tinian, and Rota by placing CNMI alongside Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico in exemption status.
United Airlines has not responded to requests for comment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
2 days ago
- Scoop
Push To Declassify Amelia Earhart Files Gains Momentum In CNMI
, RNZ Pacific Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas correspondent The decades-old mystery surrounding the fate of pioneering aviator Amelia Earhart may be one step closer to resolution. This is after the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) delegate to the United States Congress, Kimberlyn King-Hinds, formally requesting President Donald Trump to declassify federal documents related to her disappearance. "In my district, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the story of Amelia Earhart carries particular weight," King-Hinds wrote in her letter to Trump. "A number of elderly residents still recall her presence in the Pacific, with some sharing credible, firsthand accounts of having seen her on the island of Saipan. These memories…continue to fuel interest in uncovering the full story of her fate." Earhart vanished in 1937 during an attempt to circumnavigate the globe, sparking one of the most enduring mysteries in aviation history. While the prevailing US narrative places her disappearance near Howland Island, oral histories in the CNMI have long suggested that she and navigator Fred Noonan may have been captured by Japanese forces and brought to Saipan. Saipan Amelia Earhart Monument Association's Remi Sablan thanked King-Hinds for elevating the issue to the White House. "A lot of people still here in Saipan don't believe that Amelia Earhart was here," Sablan said. "But there were eyewitnesses when there was an investigation going on. And in court, they honour eyewitnesses. I don't know why we still have people that question our association…but let it rest." King-Hinds assured Sablan and other advocates that she intends to keep pushing until any relevant records are released. "We are really excited about that," she told Sablan. "We will continue to follow up until you get that information, because I think it's important for everybody." In her letter, the congresswoman urged Trump to apply the same transparency he previously championed when releasing government files on the assassinations of President John F Kennedy, Senator Robert F Kennedy, and Dr Martin Luther King Jr. For Earhart, researchers and believers in the Saipan connection, a presidential declassification order could mark a turning point-potentially closing the book on one of the world's greatest unsolved mysteries, or adding an explosive new chapter.
RNZ News
5 days ago
- RNZ News
Cruise industry brainstorms over falling foreign visitor numbers
The volatility of New Zealand's tourism policies are problematic for operators. Photo: NZ Herald/Paul Taylor The cruise sector hopes crisis talks at this year's industry conference will help chart a course through rocky financial waters. The theme of this year's NZ Cruise Association Conference - 'This is Not a Drill' - speaks for itself. Passenger numbers have fallen year on year , down 20 percent last summer and projected to fall another 20 percent this year, but NZCA chief executive Jacqui Lloyd maintains an optimistic outlook. "It is a little [like] crisis talks, but there is also a lot of positivity," she told RNZ, between panel discussions from the conference in Napier. "[We're talking about] how we all need to work together, and make sure that the messaging is going out around central and local government on how important cruise is for regional economies, particularly our tourism and hospitality operators." Lloyd expected 660 port calls and about 215,000 cruise passengers to visit New Zealand shores in the 2025/26 season. "That's down from 1120 port calls in 2023/24 and around 330,000 passengers." She said the industry could do little to adapt, rather policy change was needed to keep it from sinking. "We'd rather not adapt, to be honest. We'd like to instead make sure that we get some return in that business, and a key part of it has been around working with government on regulatory changes, transparency on increased costs, and also biosecurity risks." Lloyd said New Zealand was particularly harsh on biofouling - the build-up of algae and other microorganisms on a ship's hull. "[There's a] risk of being turned away, because we don't have a safety net in New Zealand to allow any kind of cleaning, if ships do have any issues, and cruise lines have to go off the 12-mile limit, and wait for a calm day for a diver to go down and clean the ship. "Meanwhile, passengers are on board, wondering why they're not at the destination that they had planned, so that's a real strong risk from a brand reputation and cost reputation." Lloyd said representatives from Ports of Auckland had also spoken at the conference about their plans to facilitate in-water cleaning for visiting ships. "Ports of Auckland has been speaking today about the trials they're doing for in-water cleaning, which has been positive, and they are working with MPI on how they might be able to do that going forward," she explained "That's safe cleaning, not only for the ship, but also New Zealand's environment. We don't want to let any nasties into our waters and cause concerns with our aquaculture industry." Meanwhile, the volatility of New Zealand's tourism policies were problematic for operators that often planned cruises years in advance. "Passengers will book their cruises two years in advance and we've had cases recently where government agencies have increased costs by $11, $12, $20 per passenger, with only a very short two to three-month window," she said. These challenges were causing a decline in New Zealand's global reputation as a cruise destination. "[It was] interesting talking to Princess Cruises today, who spoke at conference, and talked about the fact that the searches for New Zealand and Australia for Princess are down quite considerably on what they have been previously," Lloyd said. "We will need to do a lot of work, as a nation, to promote passengers to come back to our shores." She said job losses would be inevitable. "There will be [job losses], and that will predominantly be through hospitality and tourism providers, drivers for coaches, likely within ports for teams that usually will look after cruise vessels. "There are 10,000 jobs created by [the cruise industry] in the 2023/24 season and we do have concerns that we'll see a reduction for this season coming." Viv Beck, the chief executive of central Auckland's business association Heart of the City, said cruises were an essential source of visitors. "[Cruises] are really important and particularly at a time where spending is down, and we've had severe impacts with construction and Covid-19, and all of the above," she said. "This is one of the means of getting people in here and they arrive right on our doorstep at the bottom of Queen Street. "A reduction in numbers is definitely going to be missed." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
5 days ago
- RNZ News
Cruise ship season sinking fast
business tourism 27 minutes ago Napier Port has revealed its cruise ship revenue is down nearly 10%. Bookings for the upcoming season that starts in October are headed in the same direction. Cruise ship numbers in the Bay of Island have almost halved from the peak two years ago. Meanwhile, Disney Cruise Line has confirmed it will only be sailing to to New Zealand up until February 2026. New Zealand Cruise Association chief executive Jacqui Lloyd spoke to Lisa Owen.
