THE CNMI’s newest airline will take to the skies in July. The airline is a joint venture between Saipan’s MP Enterprises and America’s largest commuter airline, Southern Airways Express.
Commenting on the announcement of the airline’s launch, Keith Stewart, president of MP Enterprises said, “The airline will revolutionize inter-island travel within the CNMI. We will launch service with multiple aircraft based in Saipan and Guam, and we are planning for a total of seven aircraft over the next three years to meet the growing demand.”
According to Stewart, the initial offering will include over 90 weekly flights serving Saipan, Tinian, Rota, and Guam. “Importantly, as the schedule expands the airline will offer same-day connectivity to Saipan with United’s Honolulu-Guam flight, avoiding an unnecessary overnight stay in Guam and, through Southern Airways’ interline agreement with United Airlines, providing the ability to make a seamless reservation from Tinian, Rota, or Saipan to anywhere in the United network,” said Stewart.
“We are delighted to have partnered with Southern Airways to establish the CNMI’s newest airline,” said Stewart, adding that “As one of the largest regional airlines in America, Southern offers scale, experience, and a solid reputation, ensuring the long-term viability and stability of this important new inter-island service.”
Stan Little, chairman and CEO of Southern Airways, remarked, “Southern is very excited to partner with MP Enterprises. With our more than 240 peak-day departures across six time zones, we have worked very hard to establish ourselves as a respected presence in the airline community. Expanding our footprint to include the CNMI and Guam further cements Southern’s place among the world’s leading airlines.”
Little said Southern was excited to partner with MP Enterprises because of its reputation, trust, and desire to make a positive impact upon the CNMI islands. “These attributes align with Southern’s core values and vision,” said Little.
According to Little, “In 2021, Southern completed over 99.3% of its more than 64,000 scheduled flights and led all commuter airlines in on-time performance.”
Southern Airways will act as the air service operator focusing on safety, flight and ground operations, ticketing, and maintenance. MP Enterprises will contribute market knowledge, media, governmental relations, route development, and community outreach to the joint company. Local ownership ensures that decisions affecting the CNMI are made with local input and considerations, said both Stewart and Little.
The airline will operate brand-new twin-engine Tecnam P2012 Traveler aircraft. The Tecnam P2012 Traveler is known as the world’s most advanced twin-engine turbocharged piston aircraft. Manufacturing aircraft for more than 70 years, Tecnam has developed the P2012 Traveler to meet the challenges of daily scheduled airline operations. The 9-seat aircraft features generous luggage allowances to complement its sleek and modern interior design, which includes LED reading lights, over-head air conditioning controls, and ergonomic seats with a USB port, armrest, and cup holder for each passenger.
Stewart indicated that the journey to establish a new air service began two years ago when MP Enterprises sought ways to reinvigorate the CNMI economy. The team looked to identify industries that would enable the CNMI to become sustainable and remain so when disasters or economic changes outside of its control occur.
The focus was to create local jobs and export markets targeting food and energy sectors first, said Stewart.
“What we quickly discovered was that without steady, affordable, and guaranteed air transportation, (which has not existed in the CNMI since the days of Air Micronesia) local businesses cannot grow and prosper,” said Stewart. The team identified the need to have an international passenger and cargo airline which MP Enterprises is currently working to develop.
Stewart said that “the goal was to also meet the needs of inter-island travel following a recommendation from Governor Torres that airlines explore the possibility of inter-island solutions that would help to lower the cost of flights between Saipan, Tinian, Rota, and Guam. Since Covid delayed the development of an international airline, MP Enterprises shifted its focus to recruiting a partner for inter-island service.”
Gov. Ralph DLG Torres has long advocated for increased inter-island air service opportunities to support economic growth and resiliency throughout the Commonwealth. This policy objective of the administration is outlined in the Marianas Visitors Authority 2030 Strategic Plan, along with plans and recommendations published by the Governor’s Council of Economic Advisers in pursuit of a multi- island destination objective.
“It has been through the support of this administration and the clear policy objectives to see greater levels of service provided to Tinian and Rota that this is possible,” said Stewart. “The plans and work done to increase inter-island service has played a substantial role and we are excited to be a part of making the CNMI an even greater multi-island community for its residents and visitors alike.”
Services will commence in July. The company will announce the airline name, schedules, fares, and open ticket sales in the coming weeks once the Department of Transportation approval of the local tradename has been received.
