MVA backs Cape Air’s continued service

The Marianas Visitors Authority is keeping its fingers crossed that Cape Air would continue its service in the CNMI, as it has been promoting the island of Rota as an ecotourism destination the past few years.

MVA managing director Chris Concepcion described as “great news” Gov. Ralph DLG Torres’ meeting with Cape Air officials early this month.

Cape Air will be ending years of partnership with United Airlines on May 31, with the latter choosing to reduce its daily flights to Saipan from more than four each day to just once a day.

“Yes, the governor and [Commonwealth Ports Authority] officials met with Cape Air officials to discuss the possibility of extending Cape Air’s service to Rota,” Concepcion told Saipan Tribune. “The MVA has offered our support as we’ve invested significantly in the promotion of Rota as a tourist destination the past few years and would hate to see that go to waste.”

The MVA continues to promote the CNMI in China and Korea, and is also marketing the Commonwealth in Russia and Taiwan, while aggressively trying to revive the Japanese market.

Concepcion said they are encouraging the Rota Mayor’s Office to tap the funds that MVA gives Rota monthly to promote the destination. “The Rota mayor [should] consider using the 2 percent monthly funding [MVA] provides to the municipality.”

“[These are] from our hotel occupancy tax allotment for flight incentives, which is what the funding was originally intended for,” he added.

The government has allotted a total of $7,815,639 for Rota in the 2018 fiscal year budget, a part of which came from the hotel occupancy tax and from the alcohol container tax. The Rota Mayor’s Office got $2,878,904 of that amount.

Other flight concerns

Concepcion said United’s plan to cut its daily service would harm the CNMI’s tourism industry. “We are concerned about United’s plans to fly one daily between Saipan and Guam.”

“This will harm our connecting passengers from the U.S., Japan, and elsewhere who may be forced to overnight in Guam or have an uncomfortably long layover,” said Concepcion.

United’s plan to cut its daily flights also pose a problem to the CNMI’s off-island referral patients that either go to Guam, the Philippines, or Hawaii for treatment and avail of medical care that’s not available on Saipan.

Concepcion added that, although it is a separate matter for now, the MVA is in talks with United on a possible direct charter flights from Japan to Saipan.

Delta Air Lines has ceased its operations on Saipan, while Jin Air has temporarily suspended its flights due to rising fuel costs and hotel rates.

China Eastern Airlines is trying to increase its daily flights, but Concepcion said that the Commonwealth Ports Authority, under executive director Chris Tenorio, is the concerned agency when it comes to the said issue.

“I will defer to the CPA on this since they have the jurisdiction over who gets approved to fly to the CNMI. The MVA will work with all airlines that provide direct service to the CNMI by promoting that route to the markets which they serve,” Concepcion added.