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Taga Air charter flights resume
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Posted on Apr 18 2006
Saipan Travel will resume the daily charter flights of Taga Air between Saipan and Tinian beginning today.
Taga Air vice president Tom Liu said in an interview that a new agreement has been signed with Saipan Travel for the daily flights, which will be from 3pm to 11pm.
“It [Saipan Travel] is back. We are happy about this development since it will be more convenient for passengers. If they need to come back on the same day, they can do it freely now,” said Liu.
He said the flights would be most helpful during the Tinian San Jose fiesta, which takes place from May 1 to 7.
Taga Air charter flights cost $32 for a one-way trip.
Saipan Travel used to charter Taga Air from 7:30pm to 11pm since its initial operations in November last year. The charter service temporarily stopped last December due to contract-related issues.
Liu said that Taga Air continues to provide uninterrupted transport service to anybody who would charter it.
From 7am to 7pm, Taga Air flight costs $160 for five passengers or $192 for six passengers or a maximum of 1,000 lbs. From 7pm to 7am, Taga Air charges $340 a flight regardless of the number of passengers.
Taga Air recently obtained a new air carrier certification from the Federal Aviation Administration, allowing it to operate charter flights with five pilots.
Liu said the new certification gives the company more flexibility in servicing Saipan and Tinian.
Taga Air’s old certification only allowed one pilot to operate the flights.
Late last year, Taga Air began to upgrade its fleet by acquiring new six-seater aircraft, which now total nine.
The company, which is owned by senior officials of the Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino, disclosed earlier this year that that it will invest some $1 million for a new hangar at the Tinian airport, in line with plans to acquire additional aircraft and eventually transform itself into an international airline.
