CPA moves to get China Eastern Air into Saipan

In fresh efforts to assist in the recovery of the islands’ travel sector, the Commonwealth Ports Authority is taking aggressive steps to fast-track the provision of flight services by China Eastern Airlines between Shanghai and Saipan.

In a letter to George Wellington, chief of the foreign carrier licensing division of the United States Department of Transportation, CPA Executive Director Carlos H. Salas said air transportation service to Saipan has dwindled due to the reduction of direct flights from international destinations.

Mr. Salas underscored the need to fast-track the realization of China Eastern’s proposed direct regular flights between Shanghai and Saipan since CNMI’s economy is heavily dependent on the tourism industry.

“Most of the flights that were reduced are now being routed to Guam regardless of the destination. Because the island’s economy is so dependent on air service, the scenario has adversely impacted our tourism,” he added.

Mr. Salas is asking the transportation department for information on the licensing requirements that are applicable to China Eastern Airlines for charter or scheduled flights.

China Eastern Airlines has landing permits for American airports and currently provides air transport services to San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle.

The carrier is proposing to fly between Shanghai and Saipan, with stopover in the South Korean capital of Seoul.

“Any added direct service to Saipan as in the proposed air service by China Eastern Airlines is most welcome and greatly needed to restore our main industry,” Mr. Salas told Mr. Wellington in a letter dated March 23, 2000.

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio later last month met with executives of the Chinese carrier to iron out details on how the airline company can provide direct air service between Shanghai and Saipan.

Also last month, Taiwan-based China Airlines expressed intention to expand to expand its air transport services to Saipan by middle of this year, following a successful deployment of flights between Taipei and Guam.

China Airlines currently provides air transport service to the neighboring island of Guam and was the subject of an invitation by the Governor’s Aviation Task Force to expand to Saipan.

The move is seen to provide the necessary push to the Commonwealth’s ailing travel sector since it would mean new market for Northern Marianas tourism which is heavily dependent on Japanese and Korean travelers.

Taiwan has a stable economy making its people a potential huge market for the islands’ billion-dollar tourism industry.

However, CPA may still have to coordinate efforts to entice China Airlines to service Saipan with the Department of Labor and Immigration and the Marianas Visitors Authority to address possible impediments on the entry of travelers from Taiwan.

DOLI has implemented restrictions on the entry of People’s Republic of China nationals into the Northern Marianas, citing problems previously encountered by the CNMI in dealing with numerous Chinese overstayers.

Beijing has previously been uncooperative in the re-admission of deportable Chinese nationals who were found to have illegally stayed in the CNMI.