By Gerardo R. Partido
Variety News Staff

CONTINENTAL Micronesia announced yesterday that it will operate scheduled summer services from Guam and Saipan to Osaka, Japan.
The new schedule is in response to strong demand for travel to Guam and Saipan from Osaka, as well as to support the local economies of Guam and the CNMI.
Continental Micronesia staff vice president of sales and marketing Walter Dias said the airline’s sales and marketing staff based in Japan will work closely with the Marianas Visitors Authority and the Guam Visitors Bureau to assure that the additional flights are a success.
“We are very excited to be able to offer customers additional flights from Japan to our region,” Dias said.
The airline’s Boeing 737-800 aircraft with 155 seats will service the twice daily routes between Saipan and Guam and Osaka beginning Aug. 1 through Sept. 3, subject to approval from Japan’s government.
But Continental already holds a certificate route authority for the Guam-Osaka route and no problems with the Japanese government approving the summer service are anticipated.
With the addition of the Osaka service, Continental will be serving nine cities in Japan, more than any other U.S. airline.
Flight time to Osaka is approximately 3.5 hours.
The following are the schedules of Continental’s planned Osaka service:
• CO 973 departs Guam at 5:30 p.m. and arrives in Osaka at 8 p.m.;
• CO 978 departs Osaka at 11 a.m. and arrives on Guam at 3:30 p.m.;
• CO 977 departs Saipan at 7:25 a.m. and arrives in Osaka at 9:55 a.m.; and
• CO 97 departs Osaka at 10:30 p.m. and arrives in Saipan at 3 a.m. the next day.
Continental Micronesia has often scheduled non-stop service between Osaka and Guam during peak Japan travel periods.
According to the airline, it is always reviewing market capacity growth opportunities predicated on customer demand.
The Guam Visitors Bureau is welcoming the new flights, saying that the new service will help its marketing efforts especially in the secondary Japanese cities, which will now have more travel options to Guam.
GVB has been meeting with Continental officials to further discuss expansion of its services to Guam.
Last year, Continental also opened a Guam-Osaka service from July 20 through Sept. 26, using Boeing 737-800 aircraft with 155 seats.