Jin Air to fly to Saipan in June
Jin Air, a South Korean low-cost carrier, will be flying to the CNMI starting June.
Gov. Ralph DLG Torres confirmed that the airline will be servicing Saipan beginning June 9, 2016.
According to information provided by the Commonwealth Ports Authority, Jin Air has expressed its desire in operating daily flights from Seoul (via Incheon), South Korea to Saipan and vice versa beginning June 9.
They will be utilizing a B738 or a Boeing 737-800 aircraft with 183 seats.
Their daily schedule, effective until Oct. 29 and as published also in Jin Air’s website, will have flight LJ651 depart Seoul at 7:30am Korea time and arrive in Saipan at 1:10pm Chamorro time. Flight LJ652 will depart Saipan at 2:10pm Chamorro time and arrive in Seoul at 6:05pm, Korea time.
Jin Air is a wholly-owned subsidiary of South Korea’s flag carrier, Korean Air, which used to service the CNMI route until the early 2000s.
Prior to its return in 2002, Korean Air has been providing service to Saipan for 14 years until it suspended operations due to the tragic crash in Guam in 1997 where 230 people were killed. Korean Air used to ferry an average of 12,000 passengers to the CNMI.
Jin Air is now the third Korean airline to operate on Saipan, after Asiana Airlines and Jeju Air.
According to the Marianas Visitors Authority, they have been working with Jin Air on the launch of the new services.
MVA and Jin Air will conduct major online promotions from mid-March to announce Jin Air’s new service and to boost advance ticket sales.