This article was written by Marco Finelli for publication in Airliner World. Click the link below to read the article.

ALW Feb Marshall

An enjoyable article to read on the Micronesian Region’s unique Island Hopper Service. The article was published in Airliner World, August 2015, and authored by Mr. Marco Finelli. Click here to read the article: AWL Micronesia Article

The demolition of the old tower building is complete! Below are some pictures of the work, during and post construction.

The end result: a much cleaner, aesthetically pleasing, and safer airport area.

For the 2nd year in a row, the RMI Ports Authority (RMIPA) had a “no findings” audit of its financial statements. The audit examined the RMIPA’s compliance with RMI laws, contracts, U.S. federal grant requirements and administrative procedures. According to the audit, the RMIPA “complied, in all material respects, with the types of compliance requirements” described in the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-133.

“Because of the significant level of U.S. federal grants that the RMIPA administers, the RMIPA is subject to a more rigorous audit than other State Owned Enterprises in the RMI,” said RMIPA Director, Jack Chong-Gum. “The requirements of OMB Circular A-133 are stringent, and the fact that there were no audit findings or questioned costs with respect to our management of federal funds speak volumes to the hard work and dedication of the professional men and women at RMIPA,” he said.  Special recognition was given to the staff of RMIPA’s Finance Department.

Electronic copies of the RMIPA audit report for FY 2013 should become available to download soon from the RMI Auditor General’s website.

RMIPA Finance Team. From L-R: Kevin Keju, Omela Ben, Aimi Kaious, Rowena Manalo and Stanley Myazoe Jr.

Pre-Design Services for the referenced project will soon commence.  This follows the signing of a professional consulting services contract between the RMIPA and AECOM Technical Services Inc. (AECOM). AECOM, which has an office in Honolulu HI, is a global leader and provider of engineering and management services and “has been providing consulting engineering services to the Hawaii and Western Pacific Region for over 50 years.”

A team of AECOM engineers are expected to travel to Majuro the week of July 21, 2014 to commence site investigation and survey works to determine the nature and condition of the existing concrete wall. “The wall at the airport is more than 20 years old and is in poor condition,” says RMIPA Director Jack Chong-Gum. “The existing wall is a crucial and valuable asset of the airport infrastructure as it not only prevents inundation of the runway from ocean water but also protects contamination of the water catchment.” The runway water catchment supplies approximately 223 million gallons (source: MWSC, 2011) of rainwater annually to the island’s main water reservoirs near the airport. “So you can appreciate why the RMIPA is taking a proactive approach by developing necessary design solutions to improve and reinforce the concrete wall in order to prolong its useful life and also to ensure it is able to withstand future wave forces,” Chong-Gum added.

Installation of the new security perimeter fence at the ocean side of the runway should commence shortly after completion of the wall repairs. The fence is to address security concerns raised by civil aviation authorities, as well as to prevent wildlife from accessing the airport operations area. Wildlife such as dogs, cats and birds are a safety risk to aircraft operations.

The RMIPA will provide updates on this project as work progresses.