Mandarin Air eyes Saipan-Taipei-Manila flights

After successfully launching its Northern Marianas flights earlier this year, Taiwanese carrier Mandarin Airlines is now exploring the possibility of providing Saipan-Taipei- Manila flights before the year ends.

Saipan Station Manager Charlie Ling said, however, that this will largely depend on the outcome of negotiations between the Philippines and Taiwan governments on the reduced Manila-Taipei airline seats allotted for Taiwanese carriers.

The Philippines government last year moved to reduce airline seats provided by Taiwanese aviation players — EVA Air and Mandarin’s parent company, China Airlines — in what appeared to be a move aimed at protecting the country’s flag carrier Philippine Airlines.

According to Mr. Ling, Mandarin Air can immediately worked at providing Saipan-Taipei-Manila flights soon after the Philippines and Taiwanese governments have resolved their flight rights agreement.

He said discussions on the flight right agreement between the two countries are expected to be completed by October. “If the rights is confirmed, we can arrange for the Saipan-Taipei-Manila flights,” said the airline official.

He explained that Mandarin Airlines is not likely to encounter difficulties in arranging the planned flight schedule since the Taiwanese government allows passengers to transit Taipei without visa.

“We can arrange that because we can have transit without visa in Taiwan as long as the passengers stay in the transit area or at the transit hotel,” Mr. Ling said in an interview.

He added that connecting time would be until the following day on the first flight between Taipei and Manila at around 9:00 in the morning, which will be carried out by China Airlines which previously deployed two flights a day to the Philippines capital.

Mr. Ling also assured that airfare for the route now being looked at by Mandarin Air will be competitive in the prevailing market fare structure. “Ours will definitely be competitive, most probably not higher than what the other airlines offer.”

Mandarin Airlines currently ferries Taiwanese passengers between Taipei and Saipan using 737-800 aircraft twice a week with a load factor of over 80 percent since the launching of its maiden flight to the island in May.

The aircraft can accommodate more than 120 passengers.

Mandarin Air is a subsidiary of China Airlines which was initially focused at servicing domestic routes in Taiwan. The carrier has since then expanded to international flights.

This early, Mandarin Airlines is already exploring the possibility of dispatching additional flights into Saipan primarily due to the enthusiasm and interest shown by Taiwan travelers into taking a trip in the Northern Marianas.

With the beginning of direct air service between Taipei and Saipan, Commonwealth officials are expecting to get a good share of over five million Taiwanese who take overseas travels once every year.

At least one in every four Taiwanese travel abroad every year although mainland China has remained the most popular destination in recent years. The island-nation, which is home to over 22 million people, has one of the best standards of living in the world.

The airline company is confident that it will be able to bring in at least 118 people per flight to the CNMI. It has pledged to deploy 96 flights from Taipei to Saipan on its first year.