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Mayor: Korean Air exploring direct Tinian flights
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Posted on Nov 29 2006
Representatives of Korean Airlines are said to be on Tinian to explore possible direct flights to the island.
“I’m meeting with them right now. They’re studying this area for direct flights,” said Tinian Mayor Jose P. San Nicolas in an interview yesterday.
Korean Air had pulled out from the CNMI in August 1997 due to a tragic crash in the nearby island of Guam and the plunge of the Korean economy in the wake of the Asian financial crisis. It resumed direct flights from Seoul to Saipan in January 2002 but after only about a year, the airline decided again to indefinitely suspend its flights to Saipan. Since then, the Korean market has been solely serviced by Asiana Airlines on a daily basis.
When it resumed flights in 2002, Korean Airlines used to have four flights a week to Saipan, translating to 3,500 passenger seats a month.
A crisis management team at the airline company had reportedly recommended the suspension of the flights, citing threats of terrorism in the region and talks of war with Iraq.
Earlier reports also said that the airline’s business expansion plans to Guam and Saipan were suspended due to the Federal Aviation Administration’s decision to downgrade South Korea’s aviation safety rating to Category II.
San Nicolas said that yesterday’s meeting on Tinian was also attended by the Korean Association of Saipan and a Korean official from Guam.
“We welcome direct flights to Tinian. This is what we’ve been waiting for,” said the mayor.
Tinian inaugurated its international airport over two years ago. The airport has been certified by the FAA as safe to receive direct international flights. Up to now, though, no international airline has decided to fly directly to Tinian.
