US authorities lift restrictions on Guam’s commuter airline

By Andrew Curran.

The United States Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration have lifted the conditions attached to the September 2025 Part 135 order allowing Guam’s Szabo Aerospace LLC, trading as Micronesian Air Connection Services (MACS), to provide scheduled passenger air services.

"We had limitations put on the number of flights we could operate each week," said MACS CEO John Stewart in a social media post this week. "The Department of Transportation and FAA have lifted the restrictions on our flights, and, in theory, we can (now) fly as much as we want between the islands."

Micronesian Air Connection Services operates scheduled and charter passenger flights between Saipan (SPN) and Rota (ROP); Guam (GUM) and Rota; Guam and Saipan; Saipan and Tinian (TIQ); and Guam and Tinian using a fleet of Cessna 208 Grand Caravans.

After an arduous application process, the airline secured its commuter air carrier authorisation on September 18, 2025, subject to various terms, limitations and conditions.

Stewart said placing a cap on the number of flights a start-up airline can operate is "standard procedure".

"I guess it's to see if you can actually run an airline and do it properly and safely," he added. "We were able to do that and got our clearance."

Filings with the Department of Transportation show Szabo has spent several months working to convince the agencies to lift the initial restrictions.

Micronesian Air Connection Services to start using GippsAero GA8 Airvans

Stewart also said MACS would begin using seven-passenger GippsAero GA8 Airvans on some of its services after acquiring two aircraft. To date, the airline has exclusively operated the Grand Caravans. Stewart described the Australian-built aircraft as "nice little machines".

The US Federal Aviation Administration aircraft register shows the two Airvans were added in 2024, with the registered owner listed as Paula Stewart, the wife of John Stewart. The aircraft are N255AV (msn TC-320-15-215) and N244CJ (msn TC-320-17-239).

"They are young," said Stewart. "We've got a good avionics panel in the aircraft and they're good to go. We'll have them running between Tinian and Saipan on a regular basis."

Photo: AI-Generated.

Contact the writer: andrew@aerosouthpacific.com