Government of the Federated States of Micronesia

FSM Airport Improvement Program (AIP)

Palikir, Pohnpei (FSM Information Services): March 13, 2009 – The US Federal Aviation Authority recently awarded the FSM National Government for its Airport Improvement Program another 4 grants for FY 09 to continue to fund ongoing airport projects and new projects. The 4 new grants are as follows:

  1. $3,500,000.00 – Kosrae airfield fencing & electrical system upgrade

  2. $3,500,000.00 – Chuuk airfield fencing & electrical system upgrade

  3. $7,500,000.00 – Yap runway turnaround, shoulders improvements & pavement seal coat

  4. $2,000,000.00 – Chuuk Pavement seal coat

The new grants were accepted by the Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Honorable Lorin Robert, the Secretary of the Department of the Transportation, Communications and Infrastructure (TC&I), the Honorable Francis Itimai and on behalf of the Secretary of the Department of Justice (DOJ), Mr. Timoci Romanu, Assistant Attorney General. Present during the acceptance of the grants was Mr. Massy Halbert, the Airport Improvement Program Manager working directly under the Secretary of TC&I.

In addition to these new grants for FY 09, the following grants were received in FY 08 but have not been used because they are waiting for local matching shares from the FSM States, which is 5% of the grant amounts:

  1. $14,984,230.00 – Phase I of Pohnpei runway rehabilitation

  2. $4, 000,000.00 – 4 Airport master plans / 1 per FSM airport

It was agreed upon at the last State National Leadership Conference in January, to allow the 5% matching to be prioritized out of the States’ shares of the compact infrastructure funds. This should enable the matching to be met and the projects to be implemented.

The FAA will be visiting Pohnpei on March 19th to follow-up on the state of the FSM/FAA AIP Program and to discuss issues and concerns pertaining to the program. The delegation will be comprised of Mr. Ron Simpson, the manager of the FAA Honolulu Airports District Office and Mr. Berry Brayer, the manager of the Micronesian Program.