Continental’s Saipan-Taipei direct flights begin today

Two days after the airline commenced a new, nonstop service between Saipan and Hong Kong, Continental Micronesia will operate twice-weekly direct flights to and from Saipan and Taipei starting today.

The carrier will offer the new service every Wednesday and Saturday. The flights will be serviced by a next-generation Boeing 737-800, providing Saipan with 189 additional seats on each flight.

Continental flight 921 will depart Saipan at 6:35pm, with an estimated time of arrival of 8:35pm on Taipei. From Taipei, Continental flight 922 will depart at 10:35pm and arrive on Saipan at 5:15am.

The new service is expected to increase the number of Taiwanese tourists coming to the island.

According to the Marianas Visitors Authority, only 780 tourists from Taiwan visited Saipan in the last fiscal year that ended September, compared with the total outbound volume of over 5.92 million Taiwanese last year. With the help of the new direct flights, MVA hopes to boost the number of Taiwanese visiting Saipan to over 10,000 people per year.

MVA has pledged support to Continental’s new service, vowing to initiate marketing strategies aimed to stimulate awareness of the new flights and the island destination.

On Oct. 1, MVA participated in an official press conference sponsored by Continental Airlines and attended by various media organizations in Taiwan.

To increase awareness of the Mariana Islands and maximize the new direct flight service, MVA will also represent the Marianas at the International Travel Fair in Taiwan from Nov. 18 to 21.

“Additional flights are always welcome and Continental’s direct service greatly enhances the Mariana Islands’ appeal to travelers from the Southeast Asia market,” MVA managing director Vicky Benavente said in a press statement. “We are excited to work with Continental Airlines to promote this new route and look forward to the continuance of this service.”

The Saipan-Taipei service is among a number of service offerings to the CNMI that Continental has started this year.

Starting this week, the airline increased to thrice weekly its nonstop service between Saipan and Manila, by introducing Sunday flights. The direct service to and from Manila was introduced in December last year. Currently, flights are operated every Tuesday and Friday, with 8:45pm departures from Saipan and 10pm takeoffs in Manila.

New Continental Connection commuter service, operated by Cape Air, between Guam and the CNMI began this summer.