Previous Story
Plane seats to NMI down by 7K
|
Posted on Jan 17 2005
Travelers flying directly to the Northern Marianas currently have over 7,000 fewer seats available to them, as compared with last year, according to the Marianas Visitors Authority.
An MVA report showed that as of December 2004, there are a total of 69,156 seats available for visitors on direct flights, including charter and extra flights, to Saipan. This represents a decrease of 9.5 percent, compared with the 76,421 available seats in December 2003.
The decline occurred despite the introduction of nonstop service from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the Philippines, which altogether provide additional 6,665 seats for CNMI visitors.
MVA attributed the drop mainly to the 17-percent reduction in seats capacity from Tokyo, Japan. Continental Airlines terminated its direct flights from Nagoya in April 2004, while Japan Airlines downsized the aircraft used for its Saipan flights.
From 52,156 in December 2003, the number of seats for Japanese travelers fell to 43,184 in December 2004, despite moves by airlines to offer extra flights during the holidays.
Seat capacity for Guam-Saipan travelers also saw a 54-percent decline—from 14,105 in December 2003 to 6,440 in December 2004, the MVA report indicated.
MVA research manager Judy Torres said this figure includes only Continental Micronesia flights, and not commuter flights operated by Freedom Air and Pacific Islands Aviation.
Torres also explained that the decrease in seats capacity comes as a result of Continental’s partnership with Cape Air, which utilizes the turbo propeller type of aircraft for its Guam-Saipan flights. Continental used to operate Guam-Saipan flights using the Boeing 737 jets.
“Now, we’re getting more frequent flights, but fewer seats,” Torres said.
Asiana Airlines’ decision to add three flights per week to accommodate passenger demand during the holiday period caused a 6-percent increase in seats available for Korean tourists—from 8,378 in December 2003 to 8,872 in the same month in 2004.
The China market registered the biggest growth in seats capacity. From only 1,782 in December 2003, the number of seats offered to Chinese tourists jumped to 4,005 as of last month.
