Marianas Southern launches; justifies fleet choice, plans

US's Pacific Air Charters orders two Tecnam P2012s

Pacific Air Charters (Honolulu) has ordered two Tecnam P2012s with options for another 23, with the two firm orders expected to be delivered by July 2023, according to a Costruzioni Aeronautiche TECNAM statement.

Pacific Air Charters Chief Operations Officer Pat McNamee said the type is "the perfect aircraft for our routes." The Hawaiian carrier operates under a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Part 135 certificate, which allows it to provide on-demand, unscheduled air services. According to the FAA Part 135 database, the airline has four aircraft in its fleet, including a Cessna (twin piston) 421C Golden Eagle; a Beech (twin turboprop) 300 Super King Air; a Piper (twin piston) PA-34-200T; and a Piper (twin piston) PA-31P-350.

Pacific Air Charters becomes just a handful of US operators with the P2012. Southern Airways Express (9X, Memphis International) has three which it used on its Marianas Southern Airways (Saipan) joint venture. However, it is now withdrawing from that operation, and the aircraft likely to redeployed to its...

CNMI's Marianas Southern Airways goes out of business

Less than 12 months after its launch, Marianas Southern Airways (Saipan) is ending operations on April 1, 2023. The cessation of services follows the Northern Marianas Islands government terminating a USD8 million sole-source contract with the airline earlier this year.

Marianas Southern Airways broke the news on its social media accounts on March 30. The airline, a joint venture between Southern Airways Express (9X, Memphis International) and Saipan-based MP Enterprises, used a trio of Southern Airways Express-supplied Tecnam P2012s to link Rota International, Saipan, Tinian, and Guam International.

The controversial axing of the federally funded contract followed a change of government in the Northern Marianas Islands. The airline then indicated it might end services if a resolution could not be found. Speaking to a Northern Marianas Commonwealth Senate hearing on March 16, a Marianas Southern representative said "there was a complete neglect of response from anyone (in government)" regarding the cancelled contract and its consequences. "We're open, we're willing to talk, lets at least have a dialogue."

CNMI's Southern Marianas ups fares as gov't dispute simmers

Marianas Southern Airways (Saipan) has substantially increased its airfares in the wake of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) government axing a USD8 million sole-source contract last month.

The airline, a joint venture between a local entity called MP Enterprises and Southern Airways (Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson), only started operations in 3Q 2022 after the CNMI government put out a call for new flights following Star Marianas Air (Tinian) temporarily ending services to Rota International and Tinian in late 2021. Although not widely publicized at the time, Marianas Southern Airways secured the sole source contract to underwrite Tecnam P2012 flights to those airports as well as between Saipan and Guam International.

Southern Marianas Airways now competes with Star Marianas Air on the Saipan - Rota, Saipan - Tinian, and Rota - Guam routes. The airline also takes on the daily B737-800 service provided by United Airlines (UA, Chicago O'Hare) on the Saipan - Guam route. Local media are reporting Marianas...

Southern Airways threaten to walk from Southern Marianas JV