Previous Story
UNITED AIRLINES’ DIRECT FLIGHTS FROM JAPAN
‘A great step toward revitalizing economy’
|
Posted on Jul 11 2022
Ralph DLG Torres
The anticipated resumption of United Airlines’ direct flights from Japan to Saipan this September is another great step in revitalizing the CNM’s economy, according to Gov. Ralph DLG Torres.
“We have had a good and longstanding relationship with Japan,” said Torres in his revised proposed budget for the Commonwealth government and related agencies for fiscal year 2023.
The governor said CNMI now has the opportunity to rebuild the Commonwealth as a choice destination for Japanese visitors, while at the same time developing the CNMI’s other markets.
United Airlines will provide direct flights between Saipan and Narita, Japan for six months starting this September to accommodate the CNMI’s recently established Travel Investment Resumption Plan Japan program.
Torres said that, while the administration continues to work with partners at the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. and the Governor’s COVID-19 Task Force to manage COVID-19 cases on the islands, the Commonwealth embraces the benefits that have been utilized since the development of the Travel Bubble Program, which established the CNMI as a safe destination for tourists.
The governor said they also look forward to the upcoming launch of interisland airline Marianas Southern Airways, which will not only provide residents with more options to travel but also increase the importing and exporting of goods within the CNMI.
Marianas Southern Airways is the CNMI’s newest interisland air service provider. The airline will announce its initial schedule, launch its website, and open ticket sales in the next few weeks.
Torres said the administration’s priorities on infrastructure development, destination enhancement, the diversification of the economy, natural disaster preparation and recovery, the mitigation of the ongoing global pandemic, and the improvements to core governmental services remain critical in their plans for the upcoming fiscal year.
