CPA draws out plans to save direct flights

Discussions are now underway between major government agencies to facilitate ways that may help save direct flights between Saipan and two major areas in Asia which the Commonwealth may permanently lose.

Executive Director Carlos H. Salas disclosed the Commonwealth Ports Authority has been in coordination with the Marianas Visitors Authority since reports on the possible pullout of Mandarin Airlines surfaced earlier this month.

According to Mr. Salas, the discussion, which also involves the Air Service Committee of the Strategic Economic Development Council, was launched to explore possible means that would help Mandarin Airlines continue with its deployment of flights between Saipan and Taipei.

He added that the collaborative effort also has the participation of major business organizations in the Northern Marianas, including the Saipan Chamber of Commerce and the Hotel Association of the NMI.

Mr. Salas mentioned that while Mandarin has not decided yet on plans to pullout its direct twice-per-week Taipei-Saipan flights, the option is being carefully looked out especially because of the carrier’s declining passenger haul.

He said Asiana Airlines has already stopped the deployment of Saipan-Pusan flights although this service has been redirected to Seoul, which brings to 10 the total number of flights to the island from the South Korean capital.

While Asiana’s decision has very minimal impact in terms of visitor arrivals and number of direct international flights to the Northern Marianas, Mr. Salas emphasized the merits of being able to sustain the service from the Korean province to the CNMI.

This, even as he mentioned that direct flights which Continental Airlines has scheduled to deploy from Nagoya and Osaka in Japan to Saipan this year would help offset any possible impact of the lost Pusan flights and the impending pullout of the Taipei service.

Continental is resuming the deployment of nonstop flights between Nagoya and Saipan beginning April 1, 2001 following projected growth on the demand for more air transport services from Japan to the islands.

The airline company will use its newly-acquired 737-800 aircraft, which can accommodate a maximum of 155 passengers, in the daily Nagoya-Saipan flights.

Continental’s decision to resume the deployment of nonstop flights to and from the island was prompted by the increasing demand from travel customers in Japan, indicated by official figures recorded in recent months.

The region’s largest carrier is hoping to dispatch aircraft with an annual average of 84 percent load factor, which may translate to around 48,000 additional visitors to the Northern Marianas next year.

Deployment of the nonstop daily flights between Nagoya and Saipan represents close to 57,000 airline seats, in addition to the 120,000 passenger slots Continental Micronesia provides to the CNMI through its Guam hub each year.

The airline official is optimistic the resumption of the nonstop flights to the Japanese city will work to the economic advantage of the CNMI, while also strengthening the islands’ position as a prime tour destination in the Japanese market.

The first since it eliminated direct international services to Saipan, Continental Micronesia earlier announced the airline will fly non-stop from Saipan to Osaka four times a week from February 1, 2000 to March 31, 2000.

Although it has practically abandoned nonstop international services to the island, Continental consistently provides the CNMI direct connecting flights from eight Japanese cities, Hong Kong and Taipei which translate to substantial number of visitors to the Northern Marianas.