t'way Air (TW, Daegu) and Jeju Air (7C, Jeju) will maintain their daily summer services to Saipan after negotiations with the Marianas Visitors Authority (MVA) confirmed, local newspaper Marianas Variety reported.
t'way Air will continue to operate daily flights between Seoul Incheon and Saipan from March 29, 2026, through October 24. Jeju Air will suspend its daily service between March 29 and April 29 because of scheduling constraints, but will resume daily flights on April 30 for the remainder of the summer schedule.
In early February, the Hotel Association of the Northern Mariana Islands (HANMI) flagged the risk of the two LCCs leaving Saipan, which would create a significant shortage of capacity to the island. Subsequently, HANMI petitioned the US Department of Transportation for a cabotage restriction waiver and essential air service designation.
MVA managing director Jamika Taijeron described the hotel association's statements as premature and inaccurate. She noted the miscommunication disrupted commerce and individual travel planning before the tourism authority intervened.
South Korea accounted for over 60% of foreign tourist arrivals in the Marianas in 2025. But in December 2025 alone, South Korean arrivals declined by 40% year-on-year. Frequencies to Seoul Incheon also decreased from 88 in December 2024 to 60 in December 2025, per MVA data.
South Korean carriers face ongoing operational challenges on the route, which the MVA attributed to a strong US dollar and increasing competition from emerging beach destinations in Japan and Viet Nam. The authority also cited regulatory seat-capacity obligations on the South Korea to Guam International route after the planned merger of South Korea's Korean Air and Asiana Airlines.
To support air service retention, the local legislature allocated USD750,000 to the MVA from a previously restricted USD1 million fund. Tourism Recovery Task Force chair Alex Sablan noted the territory operates with lean resources. He contrasted the appropriation with Guam, which has discussed up to USD60 million in tourism support.
