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Writer's pictureThe San Juan Daily Star

Lawmaker, candidate vow to make transfer of Mercedita Airport to Ponce happen



A passenger plane about to land at Mercedita International Airport in Ponce

By The Star Staff


House Minority Leader Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Nuñez and House District 25 candidate Daniel Vega Ortiz are promising to take action to make the transfer of the Mercedita International Airport in Ponce to the municipality a reality.


The remarks came over the weekend after Gov. Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia rejected transferring the airport to the Ponce Port Authority and instead signed an executive order creating a committee that will analyze the transfer and submit a report in 180 days.


Méndez and Vega promised to promote a legislative resolution establishing the parameters of an agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Likewise, Méndez said he will work to implement the Essential Air Service (EAS).


“I have spoken with our spokesperson so that in January 2025 one of the first pieces of legislation that not only is to be filed, but is to be evaluated and approved, is aimed at creating the parameters of agreement with the FAA, the Puerto Rico Ports Authority, and the municipality of Ponce so that the latter manages the facilities of the Mercedita International Airport,” said Vega, who is seeking the House seat for the municipalities of Jayuya, Ponce and Juana Díaz. “We are going to do things correctly; the majority delegation in the House in 2024 will work with the federal, state and municipal governments to create the path to what all Ponceños want: to manage our airport.”


“The Mercedita International Airport experienced a historic resurgence in the movement of passengers and cargo during the 2023-2024 fiscal year that ended on June 30,” Vega added. “In the first nine months of that year, 118,977 arrivals were recorded, compared to 98,909 in 2023. These numbers will continue to rise with the aggressive marketing campaign that encourages the arrival of tourists from the nation, particularly in the months between November and April.”


Among the steps that the New Progressive Party, should it win a majority in the House in next month’s general elections, plans to implement is the review of the Guidelines for the Transfer of Federally Mandated Airports, as well as establishing a dialogue committee with the Financial Oversight and Management Board and the FAA, the entity that ultimately approves any transfer of this type of facility, which is considered a national security facility.


“The EAS would help the Ponce airport maintain commercial air service, subsidizing part of the small air operations (airplanes with up to 20 seats), as is currently the case in Alaska and Hawaii, among other [places],” Méndez said. “This year, our resident commissioner and next governor, Jenniffer González, achieved the approval of HR 3935 (FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024) to include the Eugenio María de Hostos regional airport in Mayagüez in this program. We are going to work with her, our next resident commissioner, William Villafañe, and our legislators to do the same at Mercedita Airport.”


The EAS is a federal program that provides economic subsidies and funds to guarantee flight operations at regional airports throughout the United States and its jurisdictions, such as Puerto Rico.


Mercedita International Airport is one of the main assets believed to be necessary for revitalizing Ponce and neighboring towns. In recent years, it has represented an arrival alternative for more than 50,000 passengers from Orlando, Florida. At the same time, it is the workplace for more than 50 citizens of the southern region, including employees of JetBlue airline, vehicle rental dealers, and airport administrative and maintenance staff.

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