Philippine Airlines bullish on Saipan as Korean LCCs exit

By Andrew Curran.

Philippine Airlines is bullish about the future of its new Northern Marianas – Philippines route while South Korean carriers are facing “operational challenges” on their flights to Saipan and suspending services.

Philippine Airlines is relaunching twice-weekly Manila (MNL) – Saipan (SPN) round-trips on March 29, 2026, as part of a broader strategy to target regional markets.

As reported by Saipan’s Marianas Variety newspaper, Bryan Sansoli, Philippine Airlines Regional Head for Japan, Korea, and Oceania, said the airline had identified a post-pandemic gap in connectivity to the Northern Marianas.

“We recognise that there are now fewer flights in the Northern Marianas, so we saw the gap and looked at it as an opportunity to return,” he told a recent Saipan Chamber of Commerce meeting.

Sansoli said the flights will make it easier to access Manila and the Philippines as well as Japan, China, and Southeast Asia.

“What we sell is not only our flights but also our network,” he said. “We have good connections from Japan, China, and Southeast Asia. Those are the markets we are looking at aside from the Philippines.”

There is a large Filipino diaspora in the Northern Marianas. But Sansoli said the flights are also targeting the medical travel, tourism, business, and education markets.

Philippine Airlines will be the only airline operating on the Saipan – Manila city-pair. The airline formerly flew to Saipan but axed the service in 2018 due to low demand. Philippine Airlines now thinks the demand is there to support the A321-200 operated flights.

“When we launch a flight, we want it to be long-term,” said Sansoli.

South Korean airlines quit Saipan

Meanwhile, the three South Korean airlines flying into Saipan have stopped taking bookings beyond March 2026.

The Northern Marianas welcomed 147,872 international arrivals in 2025, with 97,567 (almost 66%) of those coming from South Korea.

But the headline 2025 number was 35.4% less than the 2024 international arrival count. The downturn is blamed on reduced airline services, unfavourable currency exchange rates, and decreased demand from traditional markets.

The Northern Marianas economy is heavily tourism-dependant. Historically, tourism has accounted for around 60% of the US territory’s GDP. One senior tourism official euphemistically described last year’s numbers as “not good.”

Now, despite the outsized importance of the South Korean market, Air Busan is ending its twice weekly seasonal A321-200 Busan (PUS) – Saipan round-trips on March 4. Similarly, Jeju Air is pausing its daily B737-800 Seoul (ICN) – Saipan round-trips on March 28. Likewise, t’way Air is also suspending its daily Seoul – Saipan B737-8 operated round-trips on March 28.

By the start of April 2026, no carrier will fly nonstop between the Northern Marianas and its top international tourism market.

The Korean carriers say they are suspending the flights because of operational challenges. They say these include a strong US dollar, regulatory seat-capacity obligations on the Korea  – Guam (GUM) route following the Korean Air/Asiana merger, and the increased competition from emerging destinations in Japan and Vietnam.

Aside from the impending Philippine Airlines service to Manila and the South Korean flights, the only other international connections out of Saipan are the United Airlines flights to neighbouring Guam and up to Tokyo Narita (NRT).

Photo: AI-Generated.

Contact the writer: andrew@aerosouthpacific.com