Cape Air cancels several flights

Four Cape Air/United Airline flights from Saipan to Rota or Guam were cancelled yesterday, on top of more cancellations on Friday and Saturday, reportedly due to “mechanical issues,” according to information obtained from members of the public and flight data found online.

Two morning flights and an evening flight destined for Guam were cancelled, as well as a flight destined for Rota in the afternoon, according to flightstats.com.

As of yesterday afternoon, Saipan Tribune could not independently confirm the flight cancellations with Saipan’s United Airlines airport office, reservation staff, or the United Airlines executive office in Guam as its Saipan airport office number was out of service, reservation staff were reticent on the matter, and the executive office had yet to respond to questions left on voicemail.

Cape Air flies between Saipan, Guam, and Rota under the aegis of United Airlines. It uses an ATR-42 aircraft.

Private citizen Jim Arenovski said his wife, Jill, had a flight cancelled yesterday afternoon from Guam to Saipan. Arenovski noted that he was told flights would be cancelled until Tuesday.

When a United Airlines staff member was asked when flights would be available between Monday and Friday this week, she said there are flights available on Wednesday, July 21.

Yesterday’s flight cancellations come ahead of other reported cancellations this weekend.

On Saturday morning, Tommy Baik, a college student visiting from a university in China, woke up to find his flight to Guam cancelled.

Baik said “mechanical problems with the airplane” were reasons given for the cancellation.

Rose Hocog, a concerned member of the public, began a petition in June calling on local and federal agencies as well as the public to look into Cape Air’s service in hopes of improvement in quality and reliability of service

In an interview, she cited the airline’s frequent delays or cancellation of flights, on top of overall reliability and safety of flights, as things she would like improved.

On this weekend’s cancelled flights, she said, “I am so sorry that passengers still have to go through these inconveniences. I would like to call on them to join me in addressing this issue.”

The last time Cape Air/United Airlines suspended flights to Saipan for a certain duration was from March 21 to 29, also due to technical issues. United provided an extra flight to affected customers, using a Boeing 737-800 aircraft.