Rota delegation, Torres welcome STAR Marianas

Both the Rota Legislative Delegation and Gov. Ralph DLG Torres welcomed air services from a Tinian-based airline to serve Rota after the pull out of United Airlines in June 2018.

Reacting to a communication from STAR Marianas Air Inc., Torres along with Sens. Teresita Santos (R-Rota) and Paul Manglona (Ind-Saipan) are grateful after the airline agreed to serve daily Rota-Guam flights starting July 10, 2018.

“This is welcoming news for our community, particularly for our people on Rota. We will continue to support Star Marianas’ endeavors and any initiative to address our air transportation needs,” Torres said in a statement.

Star Marianas Air announced that they would be serving daily scheduled flights between Rota and Guam beginning July 10. They noted that the announcement comes about after a meeting between the Rota delegation and airline representatives last June 28, 2018. The company noted the presence of Santos, Manglona, and Rep. Glenn Maratita (R-Rota). Sen. Steve Mesngon (R-Rota) chairs the delegation.

“We’d like to thank the members of the Rota delegation for taking the time to meet us and for communicating the community’s needs,” STAR Marianas Air president Shaun Christian stated in the communication.

The airline currently offers three daily scheduled flights between Saipan and Rota and multiple scheduled flights between Saipan and Tinian.

“STAR Marianas’ re-establishing of flights between Guam to Rota and vice-versa is great news to the people, patients, and visitors of Rota alike. The resumption of these flights will provide air passenger services which has been our quest. Thus, we thank STAR Marianas for considering providing such [services] for our islands,” said Santos.

“The people of the CNMI and, most especially, the residents of Rota want to thank Bob and Shaun Christian of STAR Marianas for their understanding and deep concern of the air service crisis facing our islands. Bob has been in this airline business here in the CNMI for decades now, and once again steps up to the plate to help our people. We are all so grateful for these additional flights to Guam. We are so fortunate to have a friend in the airline business who cares,” Manglona told Saipan Tribune.

The resumption of scheduled flights between Rota and Guam will add to the airline’s existing service, which includes three daily scheduled flights between Saipan and Rota and multiple scheduled flights between Saipan and Tinian.

In its announcement the airline wanted to inform the public that there will be a change to its existing mid-day Saipan to Rota flight schedule to accommodate the resumption of Rota-Guam service. More information about the updated schedule will be made available on the company’s website www.starmarianasair.com in the coming days.

STAR Marianas Air and United Airlines are the only two U.S. airlines providing scheduled inter-island service within the Marianas. STAR Marianas Air is based on Tinian.