Govt urged to improve Saipan-Tinian link

With a goal of bringing in 10,000 Chinese tourists in 2006, Asiana Airlines urged the CNMI government to look into ways to improve transportation services between Saipan and Tinian.

Asiana’s general manager for Saipan Kwang Joong Kim said current transportation services between the two islands are inadequate to promote Tinian, even as Taga Air recently launched regular nightly flights to the island.

Asiana wants to tap into the Chinese market, in addition to Chinese travelers being brought in by China Southern Airlines and China Eastern Airlines’ flights that are being chartered by Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino and Century Tours, Inc.

Kim said Chinese tourists not only want to enjoy the beautiful sea and marine sports activities, but also the casino at the Tinian Dynasty.

“The government should solve the transportation problem for the bigger picture of the CNMI,” Kim said.

“We can develop Tinian vigorously if we can develop synergy between Saipan and Tinian,” Kim said. “We can make one traveler stay one day more.”

He said an additional day of stay in the CNMI would promote more tourist spending that will help boost the local economy. Right now, Kim said about 95 percent of Asiana’s passengers to Saipan don’t go to Tinian.

“If 20 percent of the passengers will go to Tinian, it will be very good for the economy,” Kim said.

Since Nov. 23, Taga Air launched it regular nightly flights to Tinian to augment ferry services that have been impaired due to unserviceable condition of one of Tinian Express’ two vessels.

Except Tuesdays, Taga Air’s nine six-seater planes service Tinian and Saipan from 7:30pm to 12 midnight. Taga Air’s first daily flight leaves Tinian at 7:30pm, while the first daily flight from Saipan takes off at 8pm. One-way ticket sells at $32 per person, while round trip airfare costs $64 per person.

Tinian Express ferry services reduced traffic between Saipan and Tinian after one of its two vessels ran aground on a Tinian cliffline sometime last October. Since then, ferry services departing Saipan and Tinian went down from five each to two each daily.

The only functional ferry right now departs Tinian at 8am and 1pm daily; from Saipan, it departs for Tinian at 9:30am and 5pm. On Tuesdays and Saturdays, the ferry provides additional services; it departs Tinian at 1am and leaves Saipan at 3:30am.