Hawaiian Airlines may fly to Saipan

The Aviation Task Force is eyeing to tap Hawaiian Airlines to provide service in the Northern Marianas but such plan would depend on whether or not the Commonwealth Ports Authority would grant a 50 percent reduction in airport fees and charges as an incentive to new carriers.

Aside from providing inter-island service in Hawaii, it also flies to the US West Coast. It was able to obtain a license from the US Department of Transportation to fly between Saipan and Fukuoka but later on sold it to Northwest Airlines in late ’80s.

According to JM Guerrero, head of the task force, the Northern Marianas must take advantage of the opportunity to convince Hawaiian Airlines to service the CNMI since it has already obtained the route to fly to Japan in the year 2000.

“CPA’s answer to our request would determine what kind of incentive we would offer to new carriers,” said Guerrero. The task force had asked the ports authority reduce by 50 percent the airport fees and charges for new carriers that will provide direct flight to service the Northern Marianas from a market that is currently not being served for a period of not less than a year to offset some of the airline’s initial start-up costs.

Due to increasing demand for additional seats from Korea to Saipan, Asiana Airlines will make available one plane for the CNMI for its daily Seoul-Saipan flight. Currently, Asiana’s daily B767 flight for Saipan is shared with Guam.

Northwest Airline will upgrade its aircraft from a DC10 which can carry 184 passengers to a B747 which can accommodate 400 passengers starting July seven times a week for its Narita-Saipan route.

On the other hand, Korean Air has made a commitment to begin its Saipan-Seoul flight on July 1. Although the CNMI has not gotten any firm commitment from Far Eastern Air Transport of Taiwan, it will conduct its test flight in May.

Tokyo-based Northwest vice president Jun Mokodai has sought a 50 percent reduction in passenger arrival fee of $2.20 and departure facility charge of $5.79.

In supporting Northwest’s request, Guerrero told the ports authority that this will not be a reduction in CPA’s current fees and charges. If the airline upgrade its carrier, the ports authority could make the necessary changes to enable it to increase its revenue.