Japan-Saipan flights by Sept.

United Airlines will be offering direct flight services between Saipan, CNMI and Narita, Japan, beginning September 2022, according to Gov. Ralph DLG Torres yesterday.

“This is a great step in revitalizing our historic Japan market, which has always been a priority of my administration. Since the pandemic started, we have been working to both bring back and diversify our main tourism markets. We are excited to see these direct flights between Saipan and Japan, which is something we have not had since the beginning of the pandemic,” said Torres. “I want to thank United Airlines for offering this flight service for both our visitors and our community, and most importantly, for their continued partnership with the CNMI.”

Torres also thanked the Marianas Visitors Authority, the Commonwealth Ports Authority, and other agencies for their work in not only promoting the Marianas in Japan but also continuing to identify opportunities for growth and development of the local tourism industry.

“I would also like to thank the Consulate Office of Japan, and Japanese companies and communities in the CNMI for their support and collaboration,” he added.

“We have had a good and longstanding relationship with Japan, and we now have the opportunity to rebuild the CNMI as a choice destination for Japanese visitors, at the same time as developing our other markets. I want to acknowledge the continued work and collaboration of our business partners, local organizations, and entire community to welcome back visitors to the Marianas and revive a thriving tourism industry,” said Torres.

Sam Shinohara, managing director of Airport Operations for Asia Pacific at United Airlines, said that United Airlines is proud to be the carrier of choice to provide this new direct service between Saipan and Narita, Japan.

“Gov. Torres and his administration, the Marianas Visitors Authority, and the community have done an incredible job preparing for the reopening of the Japan market, and United Airlines is proud to support these efforts through our sales team in Japan and our team here [on] Saipan,” he said. “In addition to providing inbound travel for tourists, the new Saipan-Tokyo/Narita direct service will provide residents of the CNMI with more convenient connections to Asia and major cities in the U.S.” (PR)