Continental to start Saipan-Taipei flights on Nov. 1

Continental Micronesia yesterday announced plans to introduce non-stop service between Saipan and Taipei, and expand its direct service between Saipan and Manila.

Filipino and Taiwanese workers on Saipan who do not hold a U.S. visa are among those anticipated to greatly benefit from these plans. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security suspended its Transit Without Visa and International-To-International programs in July 2003, prohibiting non-U.S. visa holders on Saipan from passing through Guam on the way to their destinations.

On Wednesdays and Saturdays beginning Nov. 1, Continental flight 922, which currently operates non-stop between Taipei and Guam, will operate from Taipei to Saipan and continue on to Guam. Continental flight 921 will originate in Guam and stop in Saipan before continuing on to Taipei.

The Saipan-Taipei flights will be serviced by a next-generation Boeing 737-800, which can seat 189 passengers.

This will be the second new non-stop jet service to the CNMI that Continental introduced since late last year. In December 2003 Continental launched non-stop service between Saipan and Manila, which will increase to thrice weekly on Nov. 1, 2004, due to great consumer demand. Further, Continental and its partner Cape Air introduced commuter service between Saipan and Rota and Saipan and Guam this summer.

“We see tremendous potential in the CNMI. Offering non-stop service between Taipei and Saipan demonstrates our continued commitment to the CNMI,” said Continental Micronesia president and CEO Mark A. Erwin.

Citing sustained traffic between the destinations, the airline will operate three non-stop flights per week from Saipan to Manila and back.

Currently, Continental flight 895 operates on Tuesdays and Fridays. Beginning Nov. 1, the flight will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays.

“Our Saipan-Manila flights have been well received by the CNMI community and we are pleased to be able to increase service to meet the demand we anticipate,” Erwin said.

At present, only Continental Micronesia provides direct Manila-Saipan service. All other international airline companies operating on Saipan route their flights to Manila via Korea and Japan.

Continental Airlines is the world’s sixth-largest airline with more than 2,900 daily departures throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. Continental serves 149 domestic and 119 international destinations-more than any other airline in the world-and nearly 200 additional points are served via codeshare partner airlines.

Continental Micronesia is headquartered on Guam and operates a Pacific hub from the A.B. Won Pat Guam International Airport. A wholly owned subsidiary of Continental Airlines, Continental Micronesia offers more than 290 departures each week between 22 cities throughout the Pacific Rim, the Micronesian islands and Hawaii with a fleet of 13 next-generation Boeing 737 narrowbody and 767 widebody aircraft.

In addition, Continental Micronesia and its codeshare partner Cape Air operate commuter service between Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.