Domestic aircraft traffic falls 7%

The Commonwealth Ports Authority has recorded a seven-percent decline in aircraft traffic count for the month of August in all three commuter terminals in the Northern Marianas, according to a report prepared by comptroller Dave S. Demapan.

At the same time, enplanement figures also suffered another seven percent fall to 12,442 passengers from August last year’s 13,331, while only 2,133 aircraft landings were recorded from the year ago’s 2,291.

During the first 11 months of the Fiscal Year 2000, however, passenger traffic at commuter terminals on Saipan, Tinian and Rota increased by eight percent to 129,102 from 119,776 last year.

For the month of August, enplanement figures at the Saipan commuter terminal dropped one percent; Rota by seven percent; and the continued operation of the ferry services also resulted to the 15 percent decline in the number of air transport passengers to Tinian.

The biggest fall in aircraft traffic count was recorded on Saipan by nine percent to 965 from 1,066; on Rota by five percent to 323 from 341; and on Tinian by four percent from 884 to 845.

This, as deployment by Mandarin Airlines of nonstop flights from Taipei to Saipan pushed CPA’s revenues by 11 percent in August to over $950,000 in comparison with last year of the same month’s $865,000.

Mandarin Air’s twice-per-week flights to Saipan also salvaged the otherwise negative growth in aircraft landing at the Saipan International Airport.

Aircraft landing at the Saipan air transport facility registered a single-digit growth despite the 17-percent reduction in Continental Micronesia flight services to the island, thanks to the 56 percent increase posted by Seoul-based carrier, Asiana Airlines.

Total number of Northern Marianas-bound passengers during the same month jumped 19 percent with all CNMI signatory carriers, except for Japan Airlines, posting significant growth.

JAL has unusually encountered a four-percent reduction in passenger haul during the month of August, although the drop failed to drag overall deplanement figures down, which totaled 48,259 from the year ago’s 40,415.

Despite drop in enplanement figures recorded by Continental Micronesia and JAL at 20 percent and seven percent respectively, total number of outbound passengers picked up by one percent mainly spurred by dramatic growth manifested by Northwest, Asiana and Mandarin Air.

The CPA financial report disclosed Northwest’s enplanement statistics grew by 16 percent while Asiana’s outbound passenger haul increased by 35 percent, and that of Mandarin Air by 100 percent.

Following Continental Micronesia’s decision to pullout nonstop international flights to Saipan, JAL has captured the biggest market share at 38 percent with the region’s carrier grabbing only 22 percent of the market.

Northwest, Asiana and Mandarin Air shared for the remaining 40 percent at 20 percent, 18 percent and two percent respectively.