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Jeju Air launches Seoul-Saipan flights
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Posted on Oct 07 2014
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- The inaugural flight of Jeju Air from Seoul to Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands is greeted with a traditional water salute upon landing at the Saipan International Airport on Oct. 1, 2014. (MVA)
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- Jeju Air, Korea’s largest low-cost carrier, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Saipan International Airport on Oct. 2, 2014, to mark the airline’s inaugural flight from Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, back to Seoul. Pictured from left are MVA Korea Rep Irene Lee, Marianas Visitors Authority Managing Director Perry Tenorio, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Governor Eloy S. Inos, Jeju Air CEO Ken Choi, and Jeju Saipan Station Manager Yu Seok Kim. (MVA)
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- CNMI Gov. Eloy S. Inos, left, and Jeju Air CEO Ken Choi cut a celebratory cake at the Saipan International Airport to mark the airline’s inaugural flight from Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, back to Seoul on Oct. 2, 2014. (MVA)
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- Jeju Air, Korea’s largest low-cost carrier, commenced direct flights from Seoul to Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands on Oct. 1, 2014. (MVA)
Jeju Air, Korea’s largest low-cost carrier airline, launched direct daily flights from Seoul to Saipan on Oct. 1.
Jeju Air’s 7C3402 took off on its inaugural flight from Incheon International Airport to Saipan at 9:30am and achieved a load factor of over 96 percent with 179 passengers on board, including Jeju Air CEO Ken Choi.
“Jeju Air is the first LCC to service the Northern Mariana Islands, and we are excited about the opportunities this opens up in terms of arrivals from Korea and, to a lesser extent, from Russia via Korea,” said Marianas Visitors Authority managing director Perry Tenorio. “We are very grateful to Jeju Air for commencing this partnership with us, and we look forward to building a long and lasting relationship.”
As of the latest available statistics through August 2014, the Northern Marianas had received 101,521 visitors from Korea, comprising 30 percent of total visitor arrivals.
Passengers were greeted by flight attendants with the island greeting “hafa adai” and received a discount voucher to T-Galleria. This special offer will be provided on the plane until the end of this year. Upon their arrival in Saipan, passengers were welcomed with shell leis presented by local young women in traditional costume.
A welcome reception hosted by Marianas Visitors Authority was held at Hyatt Regency Saipan in the evening, celebrating Jeju Air’s inaugural flights with the attendance of VIPs from the government, the private sector, and Jeju Air. A brief ceremony and ribbon cutting with CNMI Gov. Eloy S. Inos was also held at Saipan International Airport on Oct. 2 for the airline’s inaugural flight from Saipan to Seoul.
Jeju Air will operate daily flights to Saipan with Boeing 737-800 aircraft departing at 9:30am Monday through Thursday and on Saturday. The flight on Friday and Sunday are scheduled at 8am from Incheon International Airport. Flying from Saipan International Airport to Incheon, the flight is scheduled to depart at 4pm Monday through Thursday and on Saturday, while the flight leaves at 2:40pm on Friday and Sunday.
In conjunction with the launch, Jeju Air has organized a Saipan Task Force Team until Nov. 30, 2014, and has plans to introduce the indigenous culture of the Northern Marianas through various entertainments on the flights. (MVA)
