Summary

  • Saipan International Airport was initially built by the Japanese in 1933 as an airbase.
  • Airlines operating in Saipan include Jeju Air, T’way Air, Hong Kong Airlines, and United Airlines.
  • United Airlines is the only major US airline serving Saipan with flights connecting to Guam and Tokyo-Narita.

Saipan International Airport is the main airport of the Northern Mariana Islands near Guam. The only major airline serving Saipan is United Airlines (which recently expanded its presence there by offering flights to Tokyo). Saipan is famous for its stunning beaches and excellent diving opportunities and is apparently particularly popular with Koreans and Japanese as a tourist destination.

The Northern Mariana Islands

The Northern Mariana Islands are an unincorporated territory and commonwealth of the United States. The archipelago includes Guam, although Guam is administered as a separate US territory. In modern times, the Northern Marianas were controlled by the Spanish and later the Germans. The Japanese took control of the islands after capturing them from Germany in World War One.

Saipan International Airport

Photo: RaksyBH l Shutterstock

The United States has controlled the Northern Mariana Islands since World War Two. The main populated islands are Saipan, Tinian, and Rota (Guam is a neighboring but separate territory).

Saipan International Airport

Airlines operating:

Jeju Air, United Airlines, T’way Air, Hong Kong Airlines, United Airlines, and Asiana Airlines

Runway length:

8,700 feet

Elevation:

215 feet

First built:

1933 (as landing strip for Japanese Navy)

Owner:

Commonwealth Ports Authority

Saipan is the main island with the bulk (around 43,000) of the population of the Northern Mariana Islands. The airport has plenty of rental car options and a duty-free store. The Saipan International Airport was first built by the Japanese as an airbase (called Aslito) during the Interwar period.

Today, Saipan International Airport’s runway is 8,700 feet long and is able to receive widebody aircraft. Most of the aircraft come from Korea or nearby Guam. Other airlines have operated from Saipan International Airport in the past – including Delta Air Lines, China Eastern, Sichuan Airlines, and PAL Express.

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The slice of the US in the Northern Pacific.

Carriers Serving Saipan International Airport

 Jeju Air aircraft at Saipan International Airport

Photo: RaksyBH l Shutterstock

According to data provided by Cirium, an aviation analytics company, the airlines operating on Saipan during the first half of 2024 include Jeju Air, United Airlines, T’way Air, Hong Kong Airlines, and Asiana Airlines (Southern Airways Express also flew a single flight the).

Airline:

Flights:

Seats:

ASMs

Jeju Air

1,419

268,191

520,290,540

United Airlines

1,046

173,636

91,723,964

T’way Air

732

138,348

268,395,120

Hong Kong Airlines

144

39,850

85,199,300

Asiana Airlines

103

23,324

45,248,560

Southern Airways Express

1

9

99

A large percentage of Saipan’s international air traffic is from South Korea. Three of the five or six airlines operating there are from South Korea (Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air, and T’way Air). Asiana Airlines offers charter flights to Seoul-Incheon, Jeju Air offers seasonal flights to Seoul-Incheon and the southern Korean city of Busan, and T’way Air offers regular flights to Seoul-Incheon.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong Airlines offers seasonal flights to Hong Kong. The Airline’s CEO recently flew as captain of an Airbus A330 on the inaugural flight to Saipan.

Star Marinas Air – Saipan’s commuter airline

Saipan is also the gateway to the other Northern Marianas Islands, like Rota and Tinia. The commuter terminal feeds Rota and Tinian using small aircraft like single-engine Cherokees and ATR 42 aircraft. Star Marianas Air offers flights to the other inhabited Northern Marianas Islands of Rota and Tinian (as well as to Guam).

Star Marianas is a commuter airline with its headquarters at the Tinian International Airport. Tinian is a short flight away (the island is less than five miles from Saipan), while Rota is only a few minutes’ flight. It also offers passenger and cargo charter flights.

Star Marinias Air fleet:

  • 8x Piper PA-32-300 Cherokee Six
  • 5x Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftains

The airline’s name, “Star” Marianas Air, is formed from the first letter of the islands Saipan, Tinian, Aguiguan, and Rota. The airline’s fleet is made up of 8 Piper PA-32-300 Cherokee Six aircraft and 5 Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftains.

Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain

The Cherokee is a single-engine, fixed landing gear light aircraft used for flights between Tinian and Saipan and for cargo flights throughout the Marianas. The Navajo Chieftain is a cabin-class, twin-engined aircraft with more advanced avionics, an autopilot, and air conditioning. It is used for flying between Guam, Saipan, Tinian, and Rota.

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United Airlines: Saipan’s only major US airline

United Airlines is the only major US-based airline serving the far-flung US territory. Although United Airlines does not offer direct flights to Saipan from the mainland, it connects the island with Guam and Tokyo-Narita.

The United flights to Guam are Saipan’s top domestic destination (the other Northern Marianas islands of Tinian and Rota are the second and third busiest, respectively). United Airlines’ flights from Saipan to Guam are operated with Boeing 737s and take around 45 minutes, and typically cost from $292 one way.

Guam’s international airport is a much busier hub for the region than Saipan. Guam’s airport is served by Japan Airlines, Jeju Air, Jin Air, Korean Air, Philippine Airlines, Star Marianas Air, T’way Air, and United Airlines. United is also the only major US airline that flies into Guam.

United Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 landing

Photo: Angel DiBilio | Shutterstock

Besides Saipan, United connects to many other destinations in the region from Guam. Destinations include Honolulu, Chuuk (Micronesia), Manila (Philippines), Nagoya-Centrair (Japan), Osaka-Kansai (Japan), Tokyo-Haneda (Japan), Tokyo-Narita (Japan), and other Pacific destinations.

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