According to the Marianas Visitors Authority, arrivals to Saipan, Tinian and Rota registered 24,693 visitors in Oct. 2011 compared to 25,784 in Oct. 2010.
Arrivals from Japan dropped 23 percent to 8,696. In October the CNMI received two daily flights from Narita compared to three daily flights in Oct. 2010. This situation is expected to improve when Delta Air Lines launches a third weekly flight again on Dec. 29, 2011, supplementing the current two daily flights from Narita with four new flights a week using a Boeing 757 with 182 seats.
Fly Marianas has announced that it is suspending its sporadic Nagoya-Saipan service from Nov. 10, 2011.
Arrivals from the primary market of Korea dropped 9 percent in October to 7,880 arrivals as a result of a 10 percent decrease in total air seats compared to Oct. 2010.
Air service from this primary market will improve over the next several months. Asiana Airlines will operate Busan-Saipan charter flights from November to March 2012, representing a gain of 6,198 seats during this period. Also, Asiana Airlines boosted its Incheon-Saipan service from 10 to 14 weekly flights beginning Oct. 31, and in tandem with the increase in the number of weekly flights to double-daily service, has also increased the size of the aircraft on the route to Boeing 767s with 250 seats each. This will drive an additional 4,491 seats out of Seoul to the CNMI in November. Asiana has also upgraded its nighttime service to an Airbus 330 with 275 seats from Oct. 1 to Dec. 4, resulting in a gain of 4,312 seats.
The secondary market of China saw 5,134 arrivals in October, a 63 percent increase compared to the same month last year.
Arrivals from Russia posted a gain of 32 percent to 485 in Oct. 2011.
MVA also reported a 69 percent growth in arrivals from Hong Kong in October to 108 visitors.
Arrivals were also up in October from the United States (13 percent to 864), Guam (2 percent to 1,250), the Philippines (26 percent to 54) and “Other Areas” (1 percent to 222).
