Aviation News International – With Hong Kong Airlines about to resume flights to Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands, the airline’s chairman has revealed that he himself will pilot the airline’s first flight back to the island.
Returning to Saipan
In an announcement on March 19, the airline said it would reinstate services between HKG and Saipan International Airport (SPN) with an Airbus A330 on April 28. At the time, the carrier said it would operate the flights two times per week, becoming the only local airline to offer services to SPN.
Initially, Hong Kong Airlines began flying to SPN in 2016, offering passengers more options to travel to some of the more tropical destinations out of HKG. The carrier suspended its services to the Northern Mariana Islands at the end of 2019, just as the pandemic had begun gripping parts of Asia, including Hong Kong.
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Chairman captaining the flight
However, according to a report by the local Marianas Variety, Sun ‘Jeff’ Jianfeng, the chief executive officer (CEO) and the chairman of the board of Hong Kong Airlines, will captain the airline’s Airbus A330 on this prominent flight.
The publication cited Christopher Concepcion, the Managing Director at the Marianas Visitors Authority, who said it was a big deal to have the airline’s CEO piloting the aircraft for the return to the island. According to Concepcion, there will be a ceremonial (re)launch of the flight at HKG, with the executive noting it was important to represent the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. He added that
Jianfeng’s LinkedIn profile lists him as an Airbus A330 captain in addition to his executive duties at Hong Kong Airlines. He became the CEO of the carrier in 2019, ten years after he took over the role of director of the board.
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United will start flying between Saipan and Tokyo in September, bringing in tourists and providing some much-needed connectivity for locals.
Saipan’s connectivity
Data from the aviation analytics company Cirium showed that Saipan’s airport has 33 weekly outbound flights in April 2024, with 23 services being to Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN). The other two destinations listed are Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT) and Guam Antonio B. Won Pat International Airport (GUM), both operated by United Airlines.
With Hong Kong Airlines officially reinstating its service between HKG and SPN, the airport will have 35 weekly outbound flights, totaling 6,589 seats and 16.9 million available seat kilometers (ASK). By July, Asiana Airlines will have no scheduled flights between SPN and ICN, reducing the airport’s weekly itineraries to 33.