ASIANA Airlines may use smaller planes for its flight service to the commonwealth, Gov. Juan N. Babauta said.
Smaller planes will mean less tourists, he added.
Babauta was told about this possibility when he was in South Korea to promote the CNMI as a tourist destination.
The governor, however, said Asiana will not reduce the number of its flights to Saipan.
According to Babauta, the government and the Marianas Visitors Authority will continue to promote the CNMI in Korea.
“That is the very reason why we need to beef up our efforts so that the airline will not cut back on flights and reduce the number of its seats,” Babauta added.
Although no official notice had been issued yesterday, Commonwealth Ports Authority Executive Director Carlos Salas said Asiana’s impending decision “is part of the industry’s cycle.”
Korean Airlines earlier decided to reduce its CNMI flights from seven to four, Salas noted. The months of May and June are considered the “low period” for the Korean market, he said. “We expect them to bounce back during the peak season which starts in August,” Salas told Variety.
