Thu, Nov 04, 2004
FAA Reportedly Can't Afford To Certify Samoa's Inter Island
Airways
For all its effort and expense, Inter Island Air is having a
hard time getting off the ground. The Samoan News reports the FAA
can't afford to send workers from Honolulu to American Samoa to
certify the carrier.
It's gotten to the point where even Samoan lawmakers are trying
to help. In a letter to Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta,
Congressman Faleomavaega Eni openly expressed his concerns over
Inter Island's woes, as the government in that Pacific territory
tries to secure the services of a US carrier.
Faleomavaega asked the Mineta for his "direct involvement in
resolving a final matter for Inter Island Airways. Again, I am
disappointed in the way the FAA continues to deal with American
Samoa and I am hopeful that $2,000 can be found in discretionary
funds so that certification can be finalized," he noted. "The
service that Inter Island will provide between Tutuila and Manu'a
Islands is critical to the safety and well-being of my
constituents."
For its part, Inter Island is laying low, looking for something
positive in all this. The company's Dornier 228 was recently
allowed an exemption by the FAA to use an analog flight data
recorder instead of the more up-to-date digital type. "There
existed the possibility that without political pressure, FAA staff
tasked to review the merits of the exemption filing may not fully
understand the real economic conditions in this region along the
remoteness and isolation the Manu'a Islands and the urgency for a
US carrier to serve the Manu'a Islands," the airline said.
Inter Island has also signalled its willingness to send its
pilots to Wyoming for their Part 135 check rides. So far, there's
been no comment from the FAA.
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