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‘Asiana might be connection of Russian tourists to CNMI’
AviaCharters pulls out two weeks before scheduled offline
Asiana Airlines might be the connection between three main cities in Russia catering to tourists to the CNMI to alleviate AviaCharter DV cancellations, according to Marianas Visitors Authority managing director Perry Tenorio.
This was discussed during MVA’s board meeting on Aug. 26 under the Russia Ad Hoc Committee’s presentation on recommended measures, where the board approved a $5,000 budget for MVA’s office in Russia.
MVA marketing specialist Tatiana Babauta told the board that as the discussion is made on searching flights to the CNMI from Khabarovsk, Vladivostok, and Sakhalin in Russia, AviaCharters is still resolving issues with its agreements with Orenburgh Airlines.
Tenorio said that they will continue their partnership with Asiana on the three Russian cities during the absence of AviaCharters.
“We want people to know that there is still that continued link and that they can still come to the CNMI via Asiana,” Tenorio said in an earlier interview.
According to MVA’s statement earlier this month, the cancellation of AviaCharters flights will have a negative impact worth $35 million to the CNMI.
AviaCharters was said to suspend their flights on Sept. 1, but due to an issue on the agreement with Orengburgh, AviaCharters went offline two weeks before its intended date. AviaCharters is expected to go online on Oct. 27 if issues are resolved.
Tenorio said that the pull out of AviaCharters affected four flights with 186-seater planes and impacted about 90 percent of arrivals from Russia.
According to the AviaCharters website, they have started canceling flights since Aug. 17 to Saipan and Guam, the latest being today, Sept. 3.
“We inform you that due to the refusal of Orenburgh Airlines fulfilling (sic) its contractual obligations since Aug. 17, flights have been cancelled,” AviaCharters stated.
AviaCharters’ agreement with Orenburg calls for a new program and introduction of a new plane, a Boeing 737-800.
AviaCharters concedes that the cancellations have impacted many Russian tourists and publicly apologized for the delay. It said that it will refund the money paid by tourists who have already made bookings and urged customers to contact their tour agents for compensation.
Tenorio said that Orenburgh sent “rescue flights” to the CNMI to pick up possible stranded tourists.
