Repairs are being carried out at Peleliu airport runway, allowing Pacific Mission Aviation (PMA) to resume flights to the state soon, according to Peleliu Governor Temmy Shmull.
The Peleliu State government in cooperation with PMA has made a move to clear up the Peleliu Runway of trees so that it can be re-opened for small aircraft.
Shmull said the clearing of trees, repairs, and grading of the runway will give PMA easy landing access.
He said PMA is a “good addition to transportation to the state to bring in tourists and provide emergency medical evacuation and disaster relief.
The PMA service will also cut down travel time to Peleliu to less than an hour.
Amos Collins, PMA’s Director of Flight operations said last week that the Peleliu State have heavy pieces of equipment but didn’t have the operators to help clear the runway.
He said Governor Shmull arranged for two operators from Public Works to go down and clear the runway, with a backhoe and a grater. PMA in turn assisted by paying for the accommodations of the two operators for the week that they are conducting the repairs.
Last year, PMA stopped flying to Peleliu because the trees at the runaway are getting too high which will make the landing difficult.
Shmull said Peleliu received at least 16,000 visitors last year. Peleliu State is known for its diving and World War II relics.
He said visitors traveling to Peleliu would now have an option to fly to the state via the PMA service.
Collins said there are still repairs to be made such as filling out the potholes this Friday but is hopeful that service will resume this month. (Bernadette H. Carreon)