stake in Saipan airport

Nauru wants a $2 million stake in Saipan airport

Nauru may be a major shareholder in Saipan’s international airport which is scheduled for opening about the middle of next year.

The total cost of the project is $6 million, of which half will be spent on the terminal buildings. It will not all come from official sources. Private enterprise has offered to help and President Deßoburt of Nauru has written that the republic would like to invest S 2 million in the airport.

Mr Francisco C. Ada, Marianas District Administrator, expects most of the money to run the airport will come from a duty-free concession.

A prime concession will include restaurant, bar and duty-free shop.

Other revenue will be derived from rental of space to airlines, foreign currency exchange, rent-a-car con cession, landing fees and fuel tax.

Public wrangling over which air line should get the Saipan-Japan route should now be over. Judge Greer Murphy recently heard further evidence at reopened hearings at Saipan. He will now prepare a report

and recommendation for the US Civil Aeronautics Board which will, in turn, make a recommendation to President Nixon. President Nixon is not bound to follow the board’s advice.

The CAB, after the “final” hearings in November, 1973, in February ordered that the hearings be reopened, explaining it could not make a recom mendation without further informa tion on two matters: (1) Charges that representatives of the contending airlines were involved in improper conduct while seeking support in Micronesia, and (2) Where the people of Micronesia stood.

At earlier hearings there was a lot of mud-slinging by the major con tenders —Pan American World Air ways and Continental Air Micro nesia. The third contender for the route is Northwest Orient Airlines.

The final witnesses who gave evi dence about the Micronesians’ attitude were the Trust Territory Senate President, Tosiwo Nakayama, the House Speaker, Bethwel Henry, and

a congressman, Sasauo Haruo, of Truk.

Japan Airlines has already been authorised to fly the Japan-Saipan route, but has not yet started. The CAB proceedings are to select a reciprocal US flag carrier.

Replacement For

Uluilakeba

The Fiji Government had bought a solid-looking ship in Norway to re place the Uluilakeba on the Lau service. The Uluilakeba capsized and sank during Hurricane Lottie in December, The new ship, only three years old, has a service speed of 9i knots.

It is well equipped to handle cargo quickly; other equipment includes radar, an echo sounder and a gyro pilot. There is room in the hold for about 2,000 bags of copra. There is accommodation for a crew of 14, two cabin passengers, 20 saloon passengers in aircraft-type seating and 20 deck passengers. In Fiji, the ship will be modified to take 40 saloon passengers.

Only essential work will be done on the ship before it leaves Norway for Fiji. Anything else will probably be done in Fiji. A local commercial shipowner will operate the ship for the government. A name has yet to be chosen for the ship; but it is almost certain to be a name connected with the Lau Islands.