Asiana to boost flights to CNMI

With the expected increase in visitor arrivals from Korea during the honeymoon season, Asiana Airlines will carry out Pusan-Saipan chartered flights twice a week beginning October 12 until end of December 1999.

According to Hyung Joon Lim, general manager on Saipan, Asiana is looking at the possibility of having a regular Pusan-Saipan flight in the middle of next year.

Asiana will use a B-737 with a seating capacity of 145 in its Pusan-Saipan charter flights. Pusan, located in the southern part of Korea, is considered a big source of the honeymoon market.

Visitor arrivals from Korea jumped 112 percent in August alone compared to the same period in 1998. Since January of this year, there has been a steady increase in the number of visitors streaming from Korea primarily due to the improvement in the Korean economy.

“We expect more flights next year because the economic crisis in Korea has been easing up, ” said Hyung. He said Asiana is committed to help in the recovery of the CNMI’s tourism industry, which has been battered by Asia’s financial crisis.

Currently, Asiana operates a daily Seoul-Saipan flight using an Air Bus (175 seating capacity) alternately with a B767 (260 seating capacity). When the Pusan-Saipan charter flights begin next month, the total number of seats available from Korea to Saipan per week will be 1,855.

The Marianas Visitors Authority has expressed appreciation on the efforts by Asiana to boost traffic and increase visitor arrivals as tourism officials have been trying hard to revive the ailing economy.

MVA Board Chairman Dave M. Sablan and Deputy Managing Director Vicky Benavente recently met last week with officials of Korea’s Ministry of Construction and Transportation to lobby for the application of Korean Air to resume its Seoul-Saipan service.

But Korean Air said the approval of the airlines’ bid hinges on the results of the investigation conducted by the U.S. Transportation and Safety Board in connection with the tragic crash on nearby island of Guam.

Korean Air is trying to work out a code sharing arrangement with Continental Micronesia for a Seoul-Saipan service. “Everything is still being finalized and there is no date yet on when it will begin,” said Sablan.

Arrivals from Korea drastically declined after the pullout of Korean Air in August 1997 coupled with the plunge of the Korean economy triggered by the region-wide currency crisis. Korean Air used to ferry an average of 12,000 passengers a month to Saipan.

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio has earlier sent a letter to Korean officials seeking their help in reviving the CNMI’s slumping tourism economy. While Asiana Airlines is currently providing Seoul-Saipan direct flights six times a week, Tenorio said he believes that the island must be serviced by an additional carrier so that travel
demands can be met and that the Northern Marianas can regain its lost market share.

As a result of the daily Seoul-Saipan flights, MVA is planning to carry out more promotional campaign in Korea. Currently, MVA has only set aside some $125,000 to promote the CNMI in Korea.