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Jeju Air planning more flights to NMI, says Guerrero
South Korean budget carrier Jeju Air is looking to increase the number of its flights to Saipan this year, according to a lawmaker.
Rep. Joseph “Lee Pan” Guerrero (R-Saipan) said the expected “big jump” in tourist arrivals in the CNMI has prompted the South Korean carrier to increase the number of its flights to the islands.
Jeju Air currently flies once a day from Saipan to Incheon, South Korea, and vice versa.
Quoting a status report from the Marianas Visitors Authority, Guerrero said the tourism body is expecting a 12.6-percent increase in visitor arrivals in fiscal year 2015, which is a huge jump from the 2.3 percent increase for 2014.
Guerrero, however, did not say how many flights Jeju Air will be adding to its Saipan route.
“Most of the increase in tourist arrivals will be related to the Korean market,” Guerrero said, quoting MVA managing director Perry Tenorio.
Tenorio and MVA officials recently met with lawmakers to disclose MVA’s plans for the CNMI’s tourism industry.
Quoting the MVA report, Guerrero said the projection for “the Japanese market is still gloomy,” due mainly to economic reasons and the devaluation of the yen.
Jeju Air made its maiden voyage to Saipan last Oct. 2, 2014. The aircraft, a Boeing 737-800 NG, has a capacity of 186 to 189 seats.
The inaugural flight marked the opening of Jeju Air’s second route to the Marianas region, with Guam being the other.
