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This bill would make it easier for certain foreign airlines to stop in Guam or the Northern Mariana Islands while flying passengers or cargo between the United States and another country. Right now, a stop in these islands can create legal problems for some international flights. The bill says that, for certain approved airlines, a stop there would not count as breaking the international trip. The goal is to give travelers and shippers more flight choices, increase competition, and help lower very high airfares in the Pacific region.
- The bill focuses on foreign air carriers from Japan, the Philippines, and the Republic of Korea.
- Those airlines would need to hold the proper permit under federal aviation law.
- The bill says flights to or from Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands should still count as one international journey, even if passengers or cargo are picked up or dropped off there.
- Congress says limited competition has made flights between Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Hawaii very expensive, and that foreign airlines already help fill gaps in service.
Official Summaries
Pacific Island Flight Alternatives Act of 2025 or PIFAA
This bill allows authorized foreign aircraft to pick up and drop off passengers and cargo in Guam or the Northern Mariana Islands on international flights to or from other places in the United States. Authorized aircraft are those registered to a foreign air carrier from Japan, the Philippines, or South Korea.
Current law prohibits foreign air carriers from transporting passengers or cargo between places in the United States, with exceptions.
The bill deems that passengers or cargo that are added to or removed from authorized foreign aircraft in Guam or the Northern Mariana Islands on a flight that is traveling between another place in the United States and an international location have not broken the international journey, thus allowing authorized foreign aircraft to transport passengers and cargo between Guam or the Northern Mariana Islands and other places in the United States on such flights.
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1536 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1536
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.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 24, 2025
Mr. Moylan (for himself and Ms. King-Hinds) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure
_______________________________________________________________________
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.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Pacific Island Flight Alternatives
Act of 2025'' or ``PIFAA''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Limited air competition has made flights from Guam to
the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands or to Hawaii
exceedingly expensive.
(2) 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.
(3) The nations of Japan, Philippines, and the Republic of
Korea have been critical allies for the United States within
the Indo-Pacific region.
(4) 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.''.
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