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All ready for historic charter flights to Rota
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Posted on Apr 22 2008
The general manager of Pacific Development Inc. said that all is set for the historic charter flights to Rota this weekend.
Yoichi Matsumura yesterday told the [I]Saipan Tribune[/I] that the Rota International Airport is prepared to welcome the inaugural Rota charter flight that will depart Narita, Japan, on April 26 and is scheduled to arrive at 1am on April 27.
In fact, this Friday, April 25, airport staff will rehearse their welcome program for the 155 passengers aboard the inaugural Rota charter flight.
Matsumura said students from local high schools will also be bought in and will serve as stand-ins to simulate the arrival of 155 tourists. He said this will help airport staff check out the flow of airport procedures.
He said welcoming the “historic maiden flight” are representatives from the government sector, including Rota Mayor Joseph S. Inos, the Rota Legislative Delegation, and staff from the Commonwealth Ports Authority, Marianas Visitors Authority, Transportation Security Administration, other government agencies and private firms, including Rota Resort Country Club.
Aside from the April 27 inaugural charter flights, two more charters from the Land of the Rising Sun are scheduled to arrive in the southernmost chain of the CNMI on April 30 and May 4.
All three flights this April and May are guaranteed to bring in 465 tourists to Rota, as the flights are fully booked, according to Matsumura. He added that he is delighted with the start of the Rota charter flights.
“Our parent company, KNT Kinki Nippon Tourist Co., Ltd. (KNT), as well as Pacific Development Inc., are very much happy to be able to contribute to this dream-come-true project and hopefully this would positively affect the economy of the CNMI.”
Charter flight to Rota are also scheduled this coming July and October.
KNT Kinki Nippon Tourist announced last February that it will bring in 40 new charter flights to Rota in the next couple of years.
The Rota charter flight are expected to bring in some 8,000 tourists to Rota in about a year. KNT has chartered Continental Airlines to bring in the new Rota flights. Continental Airlines is planning to use its 155-seater Boeing 737 aircraft to service the island.
