MICRONESIAN Air Cargo Services will launch its passenger service to Rota on April 21, with a 9 a.m. departure from Saipan, company owner John Stewart announced during a media briefing on Wednesday, April 16, at the MACS airplane hangar in As Lito.
MACS has two Cessna Caravan aircraft for the route, and airfare is $139 for a one-way trip. The fully air-conditioned airplanes hold nine passengers each.
Stewart said the Cessna Caravan is well-suited for short-haul routes and is commonly used in places like Hawaii for similar inter-island flights.
He said the newest aircraft in the fleet was manufactured in January and comes equipped with earphone and cellphone charging jacks at each seat. Both planes feature single-seat configurations for passenger comfort. Passengers are allowed to check up to 30 pounds of luggage in the cargo pods and carry up to 10 pounds on board at no extra cost.
The Rota-Saipan flights are scheduled for Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Planes depart Saipan at 9 a.m. and arrive in Rota approximately 30 minutes later. The return flight departs Rota at 10:30 a.m. and arrives back in Saipan around 11 a.m.
To purchase a ticket, customers can visit the MACS facility in As Lito or go to flymacs.com
Stewart said that while a Tinian-Saipan route is possible with their current aircraft, the Cessna Caravan is better suited for travel to Rota. He added that he is in the process of finalizing the purchase of smaller aircraft, which he hopes to begin using for Tinian flights by the end of this month.
Stewart said cargo services will remain an important part of MACS operations.
“You can see that’s what our operation is at the moment: we’re loading, unloading, fueling and so forth…. [T]hat’s our main gig, [but] we’re morphing into the passenger side of things because it’s needed. You can ask anyone. It shows that what everyone wants here is a second service. And so, there’s going to be competition and competition is healthy,” Stewart said.
Flights specifically targeting tourists may be in MACS’ future, but Stewart said the company is currently focused on local customers.
“We’re starting simple, and we’ll engage in the tourism side of things, especially when it comes back,” he said. “At the moment it’s very slow.” He added that tourists interested in visiting Rota can book their flights through the company’s website.
He said the flight service could be especially beneficial for travelers needing quick trips between the two islands.
“It’s something people can use for a business trip,” he said. “They could come back if they only have to do something small really quickly, and overnight is no problem.”
Stewart said the launch is a soft opening, and that they will expand in the future.
“We want to get it right the first time. We know there’s going to be some sort of issues here and there but we’ll sort them as we go. We will start some runs with these and eventually morph into other, more suitable aircraft,” he added.
MACS will begin its Saipan-Rota flight service on April 21.
John Stewart speaks to the media in front of the newest airplane in MACS’ fleet — a Cessna Caravan built in January.
Each passenger airplane in MACS fleet holds nine passengers.
