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Mandarin eyes tour operators to continue charter flights
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Posted on Nov 08 2000
Mandarin Airlines is looking for a group of tour operators in Taipei that would be willing to take over the slot of Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino in the charter agreement from Nov. 17 to end of December.
According to Charlie Ling, Saipan station manager, the agreement between Tinian Dynasty and Mandarin Air will expire next week which will result in the cancellation of Taipei-Saipan charter flights unless there is a replacement.
Mandarin Air flies to Taipei-Saipan every Monday and Friday. Tinian Dynasty handles the charter flight every Friday while tour operators from Taipei takes charge of the Monday flight.
Mr. Ling said Tinian Dynasty has asked Mandarin Air to reduce the charter seats from 138 to 70 due to decline in the number of Taiwanese tourists coming to the island.
But Mandarin Air told Tinian Dynasty that reducing the number of charter seats to be handled by the hotel casino will jack up air fare since the operation cost remains the same.
“We cannot grant it because who will shoulder the payment for the other seats? It will be difficult for us to sell the charter when the cost of the airfare becomes high because there are more attractive and cheaper island destinations than Saipan,” said Mr. Ling.
Marianas Visitors Authority Board Chair Dave M. Sablan will discuss this week with Tinian officials the possibility of looking for funds that will at lease ensure the continued charter flights operation of Mandarin Air until December.
If the charter operation will stop this November, the planned regular scheduled flights of Mandarin Air in January 2001 may be pushed back to March 2001.
Mandarin Air’s load factor dropped between July and August from 91 percent to 87 percent primarily because August is a traditionally off-peak period.
Mandarin Air expects passenger haul to pick up again beginning November up until February, or during the Christmas season and the Chinese New Year, and then again during the summer months. (LFR)
