Asiana projects 35% growth in Korean visitors traffic

Asiana Airlines is expecting Saipan-bound travelers from Seoul and Pusan in South Korea to grow by a whooping 35 percent in the next two years, signaling the strong comeback of the CNMI’s second largest tourism market.

This was revealed by Asiana Airlines Saipan Station Manager Hong Seong Min during a meeting with officials of the Commonwealth Ports Authority and other CNMI signatory carriers yesterday, where they discussed possible rollback of existing airport rates.

According to Mr. Min, the projected growth in CNMI-bound Korean travelers is the basis for the deployment of two additional flights each between Seoul and Saipan, and Pusan and Saipan beginning October this year.

The additional flights will bring to nine the total number of weekly flights originating from Seoul, while it means a total of five departures per week between Pusan and the island.

Mr. Min also disclosed that starting March 2001, Asiana is providing two flights per day between Seoul and Saipan in order to meet the demand for additional airline seats mainly because of the anticipated growth in the total number of outbound Korean travelers.

“We have noticed that more travelers from Korea are going out of the country and we expect the number of Saipan-bound travelers to grow by 35 percent in the next two years,” he told CPA officials and executives of other CNMI signatory airlines.

Asiana Airlines’ proposed aircraft deployment schedule for next year is double its current frequency of one flight each day between the Korean capital of Seoul and Saipan.

Between October 1 and December 16, 2000, Asiana Airlines is dispatching additional Airbus 322 flights on which will bring the carrier’s total weekly session from seven to nine per week.

Mr. Min also mentioned that Asiana Airlines is also planning to operate additional two flights between Pusan, Korea and Saipan, using Boeing 737 aircraft on Tuesdays and Sundays.

Asiana Airlines has been very bullish on the potentials of the Northern Marianas in luring Korean tourists as it started looking at expanding flight services to Pusan barely a month after resuming regular flights between Saipan and Seoul.

There is a bright potential to develop honeymooners from Pusan as a viable tourism market for Saipan and other Northern Mariana islands.

Asiana has reported a significant increase in its load factor to destinations that include Guam, Malaysia, Thailand and Saipan. This manifests a turnaround situation since Hawaii and the mainland United States previously received better demand from among the carrier’s clientele.

At present, Asiana is flying direct between Seoul and Saipan using 767 aircraft with at least 260 seats dedicated to Saipan.
It provides flight services between Saipan and the Korean capital, Seoul seven times a week.