Japan flights back on after Palin intervenes

KTUU ^ | December 17, 2008

[redk]

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) - Eighteen winter flights from Japan to Fairbanks are on schedule again after Gov. Sarah Palin intervened with federal customs authorities.

Staffing shortfalls at Customs and Border Protection led to a denial of landing rights for Japan Airlines. Customs officers have to be flown from Anchorage to Fairbanks to meet each JAL flight.

[SlowBoat407]

It’s a shame she has no foreign policy experience, commerce experience, transportation experience, etc.

[End Times Sentinel]

CBP has to fly from Anchorage to Fairbanks to clear these flights??? That's brutal! I get all indignant when I have to drive across the airport to clear a private flight.

Isn't there anyone in Japan who could pre-clear these things?

Owl_Eagle

“When the stock market crashed,
Franklin Roosevelt got on the television
and didn’t just talk about
the princes of greed, he said,
‘Look, here’s what happened.’"
-Slow Joe Biden

[KarlInOhio]

Is Fairbanks normally an international airport? Couldn't they just fly to Anchorage for customs and then fly to Fairbanks? (Follow up question: Would they have to fly on a US flagged plane for the second flight, thus messing around with the charter flight?)

If there are only eighteen flights, I say they should fly to a regular international airport instead of requiring someone from Customs to make a special trip to meet them.

[Logical me]

If there are only eighteen flights, I say they should fly to a regular international airport instead of requiring someone from Customs to make a special trip to meet them.

Do we have many international airports in the US. We have many. AK is huge and one of the richest States in the Union and who are we to question AK needs. It would cost one heck of a lot more to land in Anchorage re-board and proceed to Fairbanks than have Customs plant their permanent butt in Fairbanks. Fuel consumed for additional takeoff and altitude for the second flight is huge. Who pays for it anyway?

[techno]

I still don’t know why Sarah or the McCain campaign did not detail Sarah’s involvement with the Alaskan ‘defense’ system that compels her to have a higher security clearance than other governors of the USA (can’t prove that-but read it several times), what that security clearance entails Sarah to know and understand, and what types of complicated defense systems are present in Alaska and what they actually do to protect America. If anybody out there could help me:”Why was this area not explored more or was it a matter of protecting national security secrets that forbid Sarah or the McCain campaign to focus their attention on it to enhance Sarah’s credibility on foreign affairs and her overall knowledge of national security?

[NonValueAdded]

Indeed!

[GipperGal]

She was making good on that promise she made to the Japanese people! (See here at 4:43 and 5:28 into the clip to see what I mean).

[WVNan]

But..but..she wasn’t qualified to be VP you know. No experience, yada yada yada, but Caroline Kennedy OTOH, is a perfect candidate for the Senate.

[Humal]

Doesn’t this just burn you??? It makes my blood boil every time I hear about Carolyn Kennedy’s run for the Senate. There certainly won’t be any questions about her eligibility even though she’s never held a job or elected position. About all she’s done is to help cover up the Kennedy messes.

[thackney]

Is Fairbanks normally an international airport?

Yes

http://dot.alaska.gov/faiiap/index.shtml

[redk]

I’m not a huge fan of Rudy but if he ran against her in 2010 and won he would be my hero forever.

[RightWhale]

Is Fairbanks normally an international airport?

FAI is, and also refuels intercontinental freighters.

[Travis T. OJustice]

I’m not a huge fan of Rudy but if he ran against her in 2010 and won he would be my hero forever.

Ah, so you like gun-grabbing socialists, eh?

[redk]

If they make the Kennedy’s go away in shame, then yes.

[KarlInOhio]

Then why is this an issue unless the Japanese want to come in during off hours and Fairbanks' Customs office isn't staffed 24 hours a day? I could see where it would be a big, expensive problem to temporarily handle a few planes at what is normally a domestic airport, but now I'm more confused that when I just read the headline.

[Humal]

Yes, agree. My opinion of Caroline changed when the Bushes first took office. First Lady Laura Bush went to a party given by Caroline, and was so insulted, the First Lady left early. Mrs. Bush's spokeswoman said she had another commitment (some excuse like that), but the Bushes typically gloss over hurts. Wish I could find the article. It would have been from 2001, so the FR archives may not have it any more.

[RightWhale]

what is normally a domestic airport

You refer to Fairbanks International Airport that regularly handles commercial and military flights of all kinds.

[thackney]

Apparently it is not continually staffed.

http://www.newsminer.com/news/2008/dec/17/feds-nearly-quash-japans-flights-fairbanks/

Limited staffing played into the denial, issued about a month and a half ago, he said....

The winter charter program has boasted growth since its inaugural year in 2004, when Japan Airlines landed three flights in Fairbanks. This winter, the airline has 20 scheduled flights to Alaska, with 18 landing in Fairbanks between Dec. 27 and March 21.

The flights are typically full, averaging 350 passengers, said Angie Spears, public relations manager at Fairbanks International Airport. Each visitor funnels money into the local economy.

[redk]

They are vile human beings, Princess thinks she is entitled to the seat eh. I will do anything possible to make sure she loses in 2010.