Marianas Air Service Improvement Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. KING-HINDS. Mr. Speaker, today, I am proud to introduce critical legislation that would include my district, the Northern Mariana Islands, in the Department of Transportation's Essential Air Service (EAS) program. This would place the Northern Mariana Islands alongside Alaska and Hawaii as locations exempt from EAS requirements, ensuring that scheduled air service remains consistently available for residents and visitors of the Marianas.

Air service is vital and the only practical means of transportation between the islands of the Marianas. Unfortunately, commuter air service has often been unreliable. In recent years, fare prices have surged and remain at historically high levels. For nearly two decades, only one carrier has provided air service between the islands of Tinian, Rota, and Saipan, as well as to Guam.

The sole carrier has suspended air service multiple times for extended periods due to disputes with airport authorties. This instability and uncertainty are a constant worry for the local community knowing air service can cease at any moment for our remote, isolated islands. This uncertainty not only disrupts daily life but also hampers our ability to attract tourists, draw investments, and rebuild our economy. Restoring EAS eligibility would guarantee that the Northern Marianas always have a baseline level of daily air service across all three of our airports.

While the Northern Mariana Islands was originally eligible for EAS, none of our airports participated in the program in Fiscal Year 2011. As a result, we became ineligible following the enactment of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, which changed the definition of `eligible place' for EAS assistance.

By amending this eligibility, we would ensure that EAS support is available to us if the need arises. This change would not automatically place Marianas airports in the program, but it would ensure that assistance is available whenever necessary to guarantee reliable air service.

I urge all my colleagues to support this legislation.

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