JAL flying on high load factor

Japan Airlines has been consistently flying between major cities in the country and Saipan on a high load factor as it deployed aircraft that are about 85 to 90 percent filled with passengers, disclosed JAL sales manager Yasuyoshi Kinoshita.

In an interview yesterday, Mr. Kinoshita said JAL has dispatched three additional flights from two heavily-populated Japanese cities — Kansai and Nagoya — in September, ferrying close to 600 passengers to Saipan.

Two of the three extra flights were deployed from Nagoya while one ferried passengers from Kansai, said Mr. Kinoshita, pointing out that the additional services were spurred by stronger demand in September which has more national holidays in Japan.

He stressed that although average daily flight load factor of the airline company is between 85 and 90 percent in September, some aircraft were flying 100 percent filled with passengers.

During the same month, the Japanese flag carrier ferried almost 12,000 passengers between Tokyo and the Northern Marianas, and brought in close to 6,000 visitors from Kansai and Osaka in its regular daily flights.

The Tokyo-based airline company provides daily flight each from Tokyo and Nagoya to Saipan. JAL has also scheduled four extra flights originating out of Nagoya and Kansai to Saipan in October.

JAL will be deploying DC-10 aircraft in all of the four charter flights which are expected to provide an additional 1,124 airline seats for Japanese travelers to the Northern Marianas.

The charter services are schedule to depart Nagoya and Kansai on October 7, 2000, and then again on October 9, 2000, according to a flight schedule submitted by JAL to the Commonwealth Ports Authority.

JAL has consistently stood firm on its commitment to continuously help facilitate the recovery of the Northern Marianas’ tourism industry from a catastrophic slump by dispatching additional flights whenever the demand calls for it.

In March, the Japanese carrier brought in additional 3,000 travelers to the islands from the 13, extra flights it deployed between major cities in japan and Saipan. In February, JAL has provided 17 additional flights on top of its daily direct flights between Japan and Saipan.

The airline company believes in the potentials of Saipan being an attractive destination as manifested by JAL’s heavy investment in the island that include a hotel and a shopping complex.

Japan Airlines, in July 1998, increased the seating capacities of all its flights to Saipan from the Kansai Airport, by upgrading its Boeing 767 planes to DC-10.

B767 airplanes can accommodate 216 passengers while DC10s have 266 available seats.

JAL has direct Japan-Saipan-Japan flights every day, which have been very effective in encouraging more travels among Japanese tourists to the Northern Marianas.

Airline officials said the company is guided by the 3D principle which has been proven to be really very effective in encouraging more tourist movements. The 3Ds stand for Direct, Daily and Daytime operation.