Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Pacific Island Flight Alternatives Act of 2024” or “PIFAA”.
Pacific Island Flight Alternatives Act of 2024
A BILL
To allow certain foreign air carriers to stop in Guam or the Northern Mariana Islands in the course of transportation of passengers or cargo in either direction between a place in the United States and a place outside the United States, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Findings
Congress finds the following:
Limited air competition has made flights from Guam to the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands or to Hawaii exceedingly expensive.
The airports of Antonio B. Won Pat Guam International Airport (IATA: GUM), Francisco C. Ada Saipan International Airport (IATA: SPN), Francisco Manglona Borja Tinian International Airport (IATA: TIQ), and Benjamin Taisacan Manglona Rota International Airport (IATA: ROP) rely on foreign air carriers for travel.
The nations of Japan, Philippines, and the Republic of Korea have been critical allies for the United States within the Indo-Pacific region.
The nations of Japan, Philippines, and the Republic of Korea and the air carriers of such nations have been vital in supplementing deficiencies of United States air carriers when flying between the United States and other Pacific Islands.
Sec. 3 Air commerce in Guam and Northern Mariana Islands
Section 41703 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(f) Air commerce in Guam and Northern Mariana Islands
“(1) In general—For purposes of subsection (c), passengers or cargo added to or removed from an authorized Pacific aircraft at a place in Guam or the Northern Mariana Islands in the course of transportation of such passengers or cargo in either direction between a place in the United States and a place outside the United States shall not be deemed to have broken the international journey of such authorized Pacific aircraft.
“(2) Authorized Pacific aircraft—In this subsection, the term authorized Pacific aircraft means an aircraft registered to a foreign air carrier from Japan, Philippines, or the Republic of Korea that holds a permit under section 41302.”