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It’s Asiana Airlines in Tinian meeting
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Posted on Nov 30 2006
It was Asiana Airlines, not Korean Airlines, that met with Tinian Mayor Jose San Nicolas Wednesday, said Asiana Airlines–Saipan general manager Kwang Joong Kim yesterday.
“It’s our group that met with the mayor. We went there because he wanted to see us,” said Kim in an interview.
In an interview Wednesday, San Nicolas said that he was meeting with representatives of Korean Airlines on possible direct flights to Tinian.
Korean Airlines had suspended its direct flights to Saipan several years ago reportedly due to economic and regional security concerns.
When reached yesterday, the mayor clarified that it was indeed Asiana Airlines.
Meantime, Kim said that the trip to Tinian was merely a courtesy call on the mayor. He said there is no immediate plan of starting direct flights to the island.
“We just wanted to see what’s going on in the Tinian economy,” said Kim.
Asked if Asiana Airlines is interested about the island, he said, “ Someday.”
With him on Tinian were members of the Korean Association of Saipan and the Korean consul general in Guam.
Since 2003, Asiana has been the lone airline that services the Korean market. It currently flies daily between Saipan and Seoul. Later this month, Asiana will add three more flights, citing an increasing traffic flow.
