Saipan welcomes first international flight since Sinlaku

By Andrew Curran.

Saipan International Airport has received its first scheduled international passenger flight since Super Typhoon Sinlaku struck the Northern Mariana Islands in early April.

Korean low-cost carrier Jeju Air resumed its four-times-weekly round-trip service between Seoul (ICN) and Saipan on June 21, lured back by USD1.5 million in incentives offered by the Marianas Visitors Authority.

Sinlaku caused  USD500 million in damage across the Northern Mariana Islands after making landfall on April 14. Among the casualties was Saipan International Airport, which sustained damage to its navigation aids and all six passenger aerobridges.

For a time, the airport also lacked commercial power and running water. As a result, carriers that normally served Saipan, including t’way Air, Hong Kong Airlines, Philippine Airlines, and United Airlines, all suspended flights, although United quickly resumed services to neighbouring Guam (GUM), which is also a US territory. Those flights were classed as emergency/essential service flights.

A spokesperson for Northern Mariana Islands Governor David Apatang recently said the typhoon had caused an “economic collapse”.

Storm hastens a long term tourism decline

The Northern Mariana Islands are heavily dependent on tourism, with the industry employing more than half the territory’s population and accounting for about 60% of GDP. Around 70% of those tourists come from South Korea. However, visitor numbers were already in decline before Sinlaku struck.

More than 600,000 foreign travellers visited the Northern Mariana Islands in 2018. That figure had fallen to fewer than 150,000 by 2025. This year, fewer than 105,000 foreign visitors are expected to arrive through Saipan.

In February, Aero South Pacific reported that t’way Air, Air Busan, and Jeju Air were all planning to end flights to Saipan in March 2026, citing operational challenges, including growing competition from emerging destinations in Japan and Vietnam.

Super Typhoon Sinlaku exacerbated an already significant structural economic problem.

The Marianas Visitors Authority says the return of Jeju Air’s B737-800 represents the biggest step forward yet in the tourism recovery effort.

“Every seat that arrives in the Marianas is hard won,” said Acting Managing Director Andy Qin.

The return of Jeju Air also coincided with Saipan Airport resuming non-emergency nighttime operations. Many international flights arrive and depart from Saipan during the night.

Hong Kong Airlines is expected to resume Hong Kong (HKG) – Saipan flights on July 12, while United Airlines is targeting an August 12 restart of its Tokyo Narita (NRT) – Saipan service. Philippine Airlines is aiming to resume its Manila (MNL) – Saipan flights in October.

Northern Marianas campaigns for cabotage changes

Meanwhile, some local politicians, including Governor Apatang, are pushing for changes to US cabotage rules, which prevent foreign airlines from carrying passengers between two US airports.

They argue the rules may work well on the US mainland but disproportionately impact residents of remote US territories such as the Northern Mariana Islands.

Critics say the cabotage restrictions contribute to higher fares, limited competition, and a lack of frequencies. The only long-haul US airline operating in the region, United Airlines, can charge fares as high as USD3,000 to Honolulu (HNL) and USD4,000 to the US West Coast.

The short-term capacity reductions caused by Super Typhoon Sinlaku have also put upward pressure on fares, particularly on the short route between Saipan and Guam, where the only alternative to United Airlines is STAR Marianas Air, a small commuter airline based at Tinian (TIQ).

Washington is understood to be sympathetic to the concerns, with some federal politicians acknowledging that the current system adversely affects remote communities and that their interests may outweigh the commercial interests of US airlines.

Northern Mariana Islands residents say easing cabotage restrictions would increase competition, leading to lower fares, improved service, and more reliable connections. They stress that the goal is not to replace US airlines. Instead, they want the US carriers to compete for their business, as they do elsewhere in the United States, rather than relying on the advantages of operating with little or no competition.

Photo: AI-Generated.
Contact the writer: andrew@aerosouthpacific.com