United sets new Tokyo-Saipan schedule

United Airlines has announced a new schedule for its thrice weekly flight between Tokyo-Narita and the Marianas beginning May 7, 2024. The new schedule will depart Tokyo-Narita International Airport on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday at 5:30pm and arrive at the Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport at 9:55pm and depart Saipan on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 11:50am and arrive in Tokyo at 2:25pm.

The airline’s announcement was welcomed by the Marianas Visitors Authority, which had requested the airline to revise the schedule to help increase visitor arrivals from Japan to the Marianas.

“The Marianas Visitors Authority is very excited about the new schedule announced by United Airlines for Tokyo-Saipan service beginning May 7,” said MVA managing director Christopher A. Concepcion. “It’s something we have been in discussion with them about for several months, and we are grateful that it has finally been approved by United headquarters in Chicago in coordination with their Guam and Tokyo offices. We anticipate this to have a positive impact toward more Japanese choosing our destination as outbound travel from Japan continues to slowly recover from the pandemic.”

The new schedule brings several benefits for Japanese visitors to the Marianas. An early evening departure time from Tokyo-Narita is more familiar and more convenient for most Japanese travelers and especially the family market, which comprises most of Japanese visitors to the Marianas.

In addition, the late morning departure time from Saipan will reduce the number of required hotel nights, reducing travel expenses for travel to the Marianas. This new schedule will also benefit passengers transiting through Tokyo as they travel between the Marianas and the U.S. mainland as it shortens the layover time in Tokyo-Narita to just a few hours.

The Marianas received 838 visitors from Japan in February 2024 compared to 605 visitors in February 2023. Although the number of Japanese travelling abroad has nearly doubled in the last year, the number was still 42% lower in January 2024 compared to pre-pandemic in 2019. (MVA)