Mariana Southern Airways began selling flights in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam as the launch carrier for the Tecnam P-2012 Traveller in the Pacific region.

The new airline is a partnership between Florida-based Southern Airways Express and Saipan investors, which will link Saipan (SPN), Tinian (TNI), Rota (ROP) and Guam (GUM), bringing tourism and economic improvements to the region.

It also has an interline agreement with United whereby the passenger, with a single transaction, can purchase tickets on two airlines to the Philippines, Hawaii, Micronesia, and Japan.

The first flight will connect Saipan to Tinian starting August 12 with eight weekly flights, August 15 and 19 will connect Saipan to Rota and Guam with two daily flights. The services will be operated by the twin-turbo piston Tecnam P2012 Travellers, which seats 9 passengers.

The company describes the aircraft as featuring LED reading lights, overhead air conditioning controls and ergonomic seats with USB charging port, generous luggage rack space, armrests, and cup holders.

Marianas Southern Airways reported that it will start service with two aircraft and intends to increase the fleet to six within the next 12 months, allowing it to increase its daily operations in the future.

The aircraft is suitable for short flights thanks to its twin-piston engine, powered by a pair of Lycoming TEO540 C1A, which gives it a cruise speed of 190 knots (351 km/h).

Its 950 nautical mile (1,750 km) range and large passenger door make it suitable for passenger, air cab, medical evacuation, troop transport and air cargo roles.

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

Guam, Rota, Saipan and Tinian are known for being a tropical paradise in the Pacific, with pristine beaches and waters, some of the best golf courses, award-winning dive sites, cultural festivals, casinos, and among other tourist offerings. The region is attracted mainly by tourists from Japan, South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Philippines, which recorded more than 497,000 visitors in 2019.

Four years ago, Cape Air abruptly closed its flights after a brief period of service to the islands, putting it at a disadvantage over other Pacific islands. Local businesses and community leaders joined forces to begin exploring other options to prevent such uncertainty from happening again.

«We are proud to have provided employment to more than 20 people within the Northern Mariana Islands and look forward to contributing to the economic growth of the NMI,» said CNMI/Guam vice president Bill Giles.

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Southern Airways Express wants to replicate what American, currently one of the largest U.S. commuter carriers, does, connecting more than 40 small cities to major cities in Hawaii, the West Coast, East Coast and Gulf of Mexico.

The company points out that the new Mariana Islands company is not dependent on financial subsidies from the United States and will therefore be able to stimulate its own economy.