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No Cape Air flights up to July 31
United schedules extra flights to take up slack
Cape Air flights between Saipan, Guam, and Rota have been cancelled through July 31 due to mechanical issues with its aircraft.
According to a United Airlines statement yesterday, it said that Cape Air flights have been cancelled since Thursday last week and that Cape Air’s Maintenance Department continues to work on the mechanical issues.
While United did not elaborate on these mechanical issues, it assured that there would be a functional check flight before the aircraft is returned to normal operation. Cape Air uses an ATR-42 aircraft.
Meanwhile, United scheduled extra flights from Guam to Saipan, Rota and Guam yesterday evening.
“We strongly feel that it is necessary for United to assist the affected passengers while Cape Air ensure operational reliability,” said Sam Shinohara, United’s managing director, Business Development Asia/Pacific.
According to United, an extra flight was scheduled to depart Guam at 7pm yesterday evening and arrive on Saipan at 7:41pm. The same flight was scheduled to leave Saipan for Rota at 8:26pm and land at the Rota International Airport at 8:51pm. It was then scheduled to leave Rota at 9:30pm for Guam, arriving at 10:04pm.
According to United, they will continue to assist affected passengers as Cape Air works to ensure operational reliability.
The operational reliability of Cape Air, among other things, has been a growing concern to members of the public.
Rose Hocog’s petition calling on local and federal agencies and the public to look into Cape Air’s service in hope of improvement in quality and reliability has grown to over 200 signatures, according to her, about half as much as reported by Saipan Tribune last month.
“The airplane [Cape Air uses] is constantly having mechanical issues. I am worried about the safety of the travelers and crew,” Hocog said in an interview.
She called on affected passengers to join her in signing her petition.
She also wishes to form a protest group and picket the Legislature in hopes of getting local officials’ support in improving Cape Air’s service.
“It has come to this,” Hocog said.
She said her goals are to get the Commonwealth Ports Authority board, United Airlines, and other federal agencies to force Cape Air to provide a “new and better airplane” without raising fare prices.
