Commonwealth Ports Authority Executive Director Edward Deleon Guerrero said the airline is ready to fly to Saipan in time for next month’s Chinese New Year if the FAA approves its application filed last month.
The U.S. Department of Transportation already approved Sichuan’s application but the FAA must separately approve it.
“They (Sichuan Airlines) hope to start in February. They are waiting for the FAA to approve them. Then, we will issue them a certification to land here,” Deleon Guerrero told the Variety.
Sichuan intends to bring in Chinese tourists from an area where winter lasts for six months.
“I guess their summer is 54°F so they want to get out,” said Deleon Guerrero.
China considers the CNMI an “approved destination” for its citizens who want to travel as tourists.
Although China is not included in the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program, which allows citizens of certain countries to travel visa-free to the territories, Chinese tourists can still visit the commonwealth even without a U.S. visa through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s discretionary parole program.
Currently, Deleon Guerrero said there are only two international airlines serving the Saipan route on a regular basis — Delta Airlines and Asiana Airlines.
Both serve the local tourism’s main markets of Japan and South Korea, but their combined air seats are still limited.
Statistics from the Marianas Visitors Authority showed that 5,553 Chinese tourists visited the CNMI during the first two months of the current fiscal year 2011 or from October to November 2010, down by 16 percent compared to the same period a year ago when 6,588 visitors from China arrived here.
Deleon Guerrero said CPA is ready to assist MVA in marketing the destination to potential airlines to increase air seats here.
“Our goal is to entice airlines and promote Saipan, Tinian and Rota. We are ready to assist them,” he said.
