RETURNING from a successful visit to Kumho Asiana Group headquarters in Seoul, South Korea this week, Gov. Benigno R. Fitial has announced that Asiana Airlines will add four daytime flights a week from South Korea to Saipan beginning May 27, according to a media release from his office.
Offering great convenience for air travelers from Korea, the new flight will leave Incheon at 8:30 a.m. and arrive on Saipan every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. It will depart Saipan an hour later at 3 p.m., arriving in Korea at 6:30 p.m.
The flight will be served by an Airbus 321 with 177 seats. On an annualized basis, the new flight offers great potential for the CNMI’s tourism industry, boosting arrival capacity by 36,816 seats.
G Fitial went to Seoul at the invitation of Kumho Asiana Group chairman and CEO Sam Koo Park, whom he met on Monday.
While in Seoul, he also met vice chairman C.B. Park and Joo-an Kang, president and chief operating officer of Asiana Airlines.
“The new day time schedule is certainly welcome news for the CNMI’s tourism industry,” said Fitial. “We are so thankful that Kumho Asiana has chosen our beautiful islands for their tourism investment. This is a milestone in our economic recovery that the CNMI really needs at this time.”
During the meeting, Park thanked Fitial for supporting the group in acquiring the Laolao Bay Golf Resort on Saipan in February.
The recent acquisition of the golf resort by Kumho Asiana, the parent company of Asiana Airlines, is one of the largest investments in the CNMI in recent years.
Kumho Asiana, the eighth largest family-run conglomerate in South Korea, has more than two dozen subsidiaries in such industries as automotive, construction, leisure, logistics, real estate development, chemicals, and airlines. The company was established in 1946 and is based in Sinmunro Jongro-gu, Seoul, Korea.
In a related push to bolster tourist arrivals from Japan, Fitial has invited Northwest Airlines, Continental Airlines, Japan Airlines, and All Nippon Airways to submit proposals to launch new service within seven days.
In his letter dated April 14 to airline officials, the governor promised the government’s full support to recovering seat capacity from Japan lost by flight cancellations over the last several years.
“My administration is fully committed to increasing our Japan marketing budget through the Marianas Visitors Authority,” Fitial assured industry officials. “We will do whatever is within this administration’s power to secure this additional service.”
Under the 5-Year Strategic Plan for Tourism, the CNMI hopes to attract one million visitors annually by 2011.