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China Southern flight canceled
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Posted on Jul 27 2004
A China Southern Air flight was canceled yesterday morning after the aircraft experienced a mechanical problem.
A passenger, who asked not to be named, said flight number CZ3008 bound for Guangzhou, China, was supposed to depart at 5:30am. The plane finally took off at 8:45am, only to return to the Saipan International Airport.
Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino general manager Tom Liu confirmed that an engine problem caused the delay. The hotel organizes the China Southern charter flights.
Liu reported that the flight was not able to push through later yesterday because there were no spare parts available on the island to replace that one that broke. The parts had to be flown in from China, he added.
But he expressed confidence that the passengers would be able to leave for Guangzhou today.
“It’s really minor. All airlines experience engine problems at one point. The pilot was just thinking of everyone’s safety when he decided to cancel. We’re really sorry for the inconvenience this may have caused to the passengers,” Liu added.
Some of the passengers went back to Tinian Dynasty while other chose to stay on Saipan. The airline is taking care of their hotel expenses.
China has become one of Saipan’s leading tourism markets.
The Guangzhou-Saipan route opened by China Southern Airlines linked the two destinations for the first time and formed a solid foundation for future expansion.
The largest airline in the People’s Republic of China for the past 25 years, China Southern connects more than 80 cities around the globe. Major business and vacation destinations served in China include Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Guilin, Hong Kong, Kunming, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Wuhan, as well as international service, including Amsterdam, Bangkok, Fukuoka, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Islamabad, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Los Angeles, Manila, Melbourne, Moscow, Osaka, Penang, Phnom Penh, Seoul, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo.
