News

The Guam Visitors Bureau board of directors approved several key destination maintenance contracts and community event funding during its Oct. 22 meeting, while reviewing fiscal year 2026 visitor arrival numbers that showed modest growth in the Japan market despite overall industry headwinds.

Travelers flying to or from the Federated States of Micronesia will need a credit or debit card for payments to United Airlines at its airports. The airline will switch to cashless payments for airport and cargo operations in the FSM beginning Jan. 15, 2027, according to an advisory from its station management.

United Airlines Holdings Inc. reported an all-time record total operating revenue of $17.9 billion for the third quarter of 2026, representing a 17.4% increase compared to the same period in 2025.

Matson Inc. and Hanwha Philly Shipyard Inc. held a christening ceremony for the Aloha Class Vessel Makua, set to serve Guam in the first quarter of 2027, at the Hanwha Philly Shipyard, Philadelphia on Oct. 12.

The Department of Veterans Affairs signed a lease for a new Saipan VA Outpatient Clinic on Oct. 15.

Essential infrastructure, commercial fuel stations, and private health facilities across Guam are swiftly reopening following the passage of Super Typhoon Champi, with key transportation hubs and utility providers moving into full recovery status.

Just hours after Super Typhoon Champi passed south of Guam, President Donald Trump approved Gov. Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero's request for an emergency declaration, which authorizes the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate emergency assistance.

Guam is currently experiencing a construction boom. Military construction alone is expected to reach $10.5 billion through fiscal 2027. Roughly $8.6 billion of that work is already underway or anticipated by the end of this year, with another $1.9 billion in requested funds for fiscal 2027 awaiting approval from Congress. This is in addition to the housing, infrastructure, disaster mitigation and recovery work Guam needs to have done or requires after every typhoon season. The question is not whether the work will happen. It’s already happening. The question is whether the working people of Guam will experience the full benefits of their labor and development, as it does.