The Saipan Tribune Online reports that Northwest Airlines announced last week that it would introduce a new second nonstop service between Tokyo's Narita Airport and Saipan.
This decision follows Gov. Benigno R. Fitial's recent visit to Japan to meet with senior Northwest Airlines executives to push for the launch of a new flight, and to re-assure NW that the new administration will support the airline to the maximum extent possible.
The new service from Tokyo, which begins on April 24, 2006, will operate a second Boeing 747 Jumbo jet from Tokyo, flying three times a week. The flight will carry 400 economy and 30 business class passengers, for a total of 430 seats.
As a result, this second NW flight from Tokyo will generate an additional 5,160 additional seats from Japan per month, a major boost for the CNMI's tourism industry, which has been reeling as a result of the pullout of JAL from the CNMI in October last year.
As a direct result of last week's meetings in Tokyo, Northwest and Fitial signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding confirming the CNMI's support for NW, and confirming a multi-agency marketing package contributed to by the MVA and CPA in support of a new flight.
Gov. Fitial instructed the MVA to aggressively market the new NW flight and urged the Commonwealth Ports Authority to provide discounts on passenger service fees under a standing policy to encourage airlines to launch new flights.
Fitial commented upon his return from Tokyo, "I had excellent meetings with Northwest in Tokyo, and we understand each other well, businessman to businessman. I made it clear to NW that the CNMI urgently needs the additional air seats and that we will make sure the new flights are filled, with the MVA working with NW to aggressively market the flights. We hammered out a Memorandum of Understanding over this last weekend, and I'm delighted that NW has already responded with this week's announcement of a new flight from Tokyo to Saipan."
Pacific Magazine
This decision follows Gov. Benigno R. Fitial's recent visit to Japan to meet with senior Northwest Airlines executives to push for the launch of a new flight, and to re-assure NW that the new administration will support the airline to the maximum extent possible.
The new service from Tokyo, which begins on April 24, 2006, will operate a second Boeing 747 Jumbo jet from Tokyo, flying three times a week. The flight will carry 400 economy and 30 business class passengers, for a total of 430 seats.
As a result, this second NW flight from Tokyo will generate an additional 5,160 additional seats from Japan per month, a major boost for the CNMI's tourism industry, which has been reeling as a result of the pullout of JAL from the CNMI in October last year.
As a direct result of last week's meetings in Tokyo, Northwest and Fitial signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding confirming the CNMI's support for NW, and confirming a multi-agency marketing package contributed to by the MVA and CPA in support of a new flight.
Gov. Fitial instructed the MVA to aggressively market the new NW flight and urged the Commonwealth Ports Authority to provide discounts on passenger service fees under a standing policy to encourage airlines to launch new flights.
Fitial commented upon his return from Tokyo, "I had excellent meetings with Northwest in Tokyo, and we understand each other well, businessman to businessman. I made it clear to NW that the CNMI urgently needs the additional air seats and that we will make sure the new flights are filled, with the MVA working with NW to aggressively market the flights. We hammered out a Memorandum of Understanding over this last weekend, and I'm delighted that NW has already responded with this week's announcement of a new flight from Tokyo to Saipan."
Pacific Magazine
