Jeju Air opens route to Saipan

Jeju Air has landed.

With a fully booked flight arriving yesterday afternoon at the Saipan International Airport, Jeju Air officially began flights between Saipan and Incheon, South Korea.

Jeju Air CEO Kyu Nam Choi, who joined the men, women and children streaming through the gates of the airport, said in an interview that the airline is very excited to begin its route to Saipan.

Jeju Air passengers arriving at the Saipan International Airport are presented with shell leis to welcome their arrival to the islands. Jeju Air made its inaugural flight to Saipan yesterday, from Incheon, South Korea. (DENNIS. B. CHAN)

The low-cost carrier flies a Boeing 737-800 NG. It carries 186-189 seats, according to Choi.

Flight fares vary depending on season and time of flight, according to Choi. But in general, Jeju Air targets its fares to be 20 to 30 percent lower than its competitors.

The inaugural flight marked the opening of Jeju Air’s second route to the Marianas region, with Guam being the other.

“It was very successful on Guam, I am sure we will have the same experience [here] and this will open the market for Jeju Air and all the people involved,” he said.

Currently, the airline will have one flight per day but they are planning to increase frequency as well as in other parts of Korea, according to Choi.

“We are going to expand our frequency very aggressively,” he said.

He described Jeju’s passengers as younger, energetic, and free individual travelers and families.

He said Jeju Air’s “first effort” will be to establish its partnerships with the community on island.

“I understand the hospitality community here is very vibrant, and it is essential for us to make a partnership with the hotels, rent-a-cars, and other restaurant communities,” he said.

On passenger spending power, he described their passengers as “very logical and value-oriented.”

“They compare the fares and they value the convenience and schedule. We generally see our customers probably spend about $1,000 per head [per] visit, but that depends,” he said.

Choi said flights to Saipan are 90 percent full, and they are happy to see an escalation of the load factor and interest among local communities in South Korea to experience Saipan.

“We see the market is booming and our local travelers…can afford Southeast Asian markets. They have experience of those markets and are ready, so the Saipan and Guam islands would be wonderful alternatives for them,” he said.

Marianas Visitor Authority marketing manager Bruce Bateman said MVA is “proud and happy” to welcome Jeju Airlines to the CNMI.

“It is an important event for all of the CNMI. It provides an additional 60,000 seats for arriving passengers and allows families an affordable way to get here,” he said, adding that the money the passengers spend will “directly impact the economy.”