Swift Air Saipan 757 Base
06-26-2012, 04:16 PM
#21
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2006
Position: B-737NG preferably in first class with a glass of champagne and caviar
Posts: 5,903
I guess Swift Air ain't to swift
You can't make this stuff up
LOCAL
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Saipan Air inaugural flight on hold
By Moneth Deposa
Reporter
Saipan Air Inc. has cancelled its much-awaited July 1 inaugural flight and its launch has been indefinitely postponed until further notice.
“Due to circumstances entirely beyond its control, Saipan Air was regretfully compelled to indefinitely postpone its scheduled air service operations to Japan and China. This decision follows months of preparation and millions of dollars in investment,” said Saipan Air general counsel Steven P. Pixley.
He disclosed that Swift Air, which was supposed to provide the planes for what was being billed as the CNMI's first flagship carrier, defaulted on its contract agreement with Saipan Air and the latter will take legal actions as a result. He did not elaborate.
Pixley described the issue as a developing situation and Saipan Air will provide further information as it becomes available.
The airline initially planned to provide daily flights to Narita, Japan and four times a week to Beijing, China. By Aug. 1, the airline had planned to offer daily flights to Osaka, Japan and thrice-a-week flights to Shenyang, China.
Saipan Air's postponement of its inaugural flight came as a surprise to many in the CNMI.
Press secretary Angel A. Demapan, for one, admitted that much of the details surrounding this development have yet to be communicated to the Fitial administration.
Nonetheless, he said: “The administration is deeply saddened that the long awaited and much anticipated launching of Saipan Air has come to a standstill.”
“The administration would certainly like to learn more of the details leading to this sudden decision. Saipan Air was to serve as a major opportunity to increase our visitor arrivals and to create job opportunities for our people,” he told Saipan Tribune.
Marianas Visitors Authority managing director Perry Tenorio was saddened by the postponement, admitting also that he has no full knowledge about Saipan Air's decision as of last night.
“Obviously, we're very sad about this development. We were very excited to work along with Saipan Air and other carriers to increase capacity to our island. We're just hoping that whatever issues they may have, they may resolve it quickly so they can move forward with their plans to bring the needed capacity from Japan and China,” Tenorio said yesterday.
The new carrier was intended to gain back the Japanese traffic the islands lost after Japan Airlines pulled out from the islands in October 2005, taking with it 182,000 air seats annually. Japanese arrivals, which accounted for 71 percent of arrivals, immediately declined by 25 percent and have been shrinking since.
Saipan Tribune learned that Saipan Air's services were initially supposed to be operated as charters by Swift Air, reducing risk for Saipan Air as well as avoiding a lengthy U.S. process to secure an air operator's certificate.
Based on Swift Air website, it a private airline company that was created in 1986 with two planes offering passenger flights.
LOCAL
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Saipan Air inaugural flight on hold
By Moneth Deposa
Reporter
Saipan Air Inc. has cancelled its much-awaited July 1 inaugural flight and its launch has been indefinitely postponed until further notice.
“Due to circumstances entirely beyond its control, Saipan Air was regretfully compelled to indefinitely postpone its scheduled air service operations to Japan and China. This decision follows months of preparation and millions of dollars in investment,” said Saipan Air general counsel Steven P. Pixley.
He disclosed that Swift Air, which was supposed to provide the planes for what was being billed as the CNMI's first flagship carrier, defaulted on its contract agreement with Saipan Air and the latter will take legal actions as a result. He did not elaborate.
Pixley described the issue as a developing situation and Saipan Air will provide further information as it becomes available.
The airline initially planned to provide daily flights to Narita, Japan and four times a week to Beijing, China. By Aug. 1, the airline had planned to offer daily flights to Osaka, Japan and thrice-a-week flights to Shenyang, China.
Saipan Air's postponement of its inaugural flight came as a surprise to many in the CNMI.
Press secretary Angel A. Demapan, for one, admitted that much of the details surrounding this development have yet to be communicated to the Fitial administration.
Nonetheless, he said: “The administration is deeply saddened that the long awaited and much anticipated launching of Saipan Air has come to a standstill.”
“The administration would certainly like to learn more of the details leading to this sudden decision. Saipan Air was to serve as a major opportunity to increase our visitor arrivals and to create job opportunities for our people,” he told Saipan Tribune.
Marianas Visitors Authority managing director Perry Tenorio was saddened by the postponement, admitting also that he has no full knowledge about Saipan Air's decision as of last night.
“Obviously, we're very sad about this development. We were very excited to work along with Saipan Air and other carriers to increase capacity to our island. We're just hoping that whatever issues they may have, they may resolve it quickly so they can move forward with their plans to bring the needed capacity from Japan and China,” Tenorio said yesterday.
The new carrier was intended to gain back the Japanese traffic the islands lost after Japan Airlines pulled out from the islands in October 2005, taking with it 182,000 air seats annually. Japanese arrivals, which accounted for 71 percent of arrivals, immediately declined by 25 percent and have been shrinking since.
Saipan Tribune learned that Saipan Air's services were initially supposed to be operated as charters by Swift Air, reducing risk for Saipan Air as well as avoiding a lengthy U.S. process to secure an air operator's certificate.
Based on Swift Air website, it a private airline company that was created in 1986 with two planes offering passenger flights.
06-27-2012, 05:16 PM
#22
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Joined APC: Sep 2010
Position: Shorts SD3-60/B737-300 Dispatcher
Posts: 26
Saipan Air
Any idea of an airline that could pick up this flying? Which US Charter operators fly the B757?
All these routes could be operated by a 737NG. Sun Country and Miami Air could probably do it, if they have the airframes available.
The Japan routes can be operated non-ETOPS. HKG and mainland China would require ETOPS to be competitive with UA out of Guam. Keeping within one hour of an airport for that route would add 30-40 minutes flight time each way, and obviously result in using a lot more fuel.
All these routes could be operated by a 737NG. Sun Country and Miami Air could probably do it, if they have the airframes available.
The Japan routes can be operated non-ETOPS. HKG and mainland China would require ETOPS to be competitive with UA out of Guam. Keeping within one hour of an airport for that route would add 30-40 minutes flight time each way, and obviously result in using a lot more fuel.
06-27-2012, 06:30 PM
#24
Gets Weekends Off
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Mar 2011
Posts: 597
I'm wondering the same thing..... but the 757 is perfect for this type of flying. One just needs to look at NW/DL for evidence of that.
I'd reckon that we would have to see either Miami Air or Omni (their 757 is doing a lot of sitting now), maybe Ryan, to run these flights. I say those three because they already have B342/ETOPS certified for that part of the world and seems to have planes to spare at the moment with the DoD downturn. Sun Country would have to do a crash course certification process for ETOPS area-of-operation approval for that area. Plus, I don't think they have the frames to spare. North American would be the only other 757 operator but IIRC those planes are parked right after the bankruptcy filling. I think they only have 767s active.
My question(s) is this? Why the 727? Where was it coming from? Swift doesn't have it on the certificate, so it probably wasn't going to be their metal.
I wonder if they got a "better" offer from EZjet and decided to screw Saipan Air in the process. The way EZjet is talking, they are going to be adding a ton of flying really soon out of JFK and YYZ.
I'd reckon that we would have to see either Miami Air or Omni (their 757 is doing a lot of sitting now), maybe Ryan, to run these flights. I say those three because they already have B342/ETOPS certified for that part of the world and seems to have planes to spare at the moment with the DoD downturn. Sun Country would have to do a crash course certification process for ETOPS area-of-operation approval for that area. Plus, I don't think they have the frames to spare. North American would be the only other 757 operator but IIRC those planes are parked right after the bankruptcy filling. I think they only have 767s active.
My question(s) is this? Why the 727? Where was it coming from? Swift doesn't have it on the certificate, so it probably wasn't going to be their metal.
I wonder if they got a "better" offer from EZjet and decided to screw Saipan Air in the process. The way EZjet is talking, they are going to be adding a ton of flying really soon out of JFK and YYZ.
06-28-2012, 10:30 AM
#27
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06-28-2012, 03:50 PM
#29
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Quote
My question(s) is this? Why the 727? Where was it coming from? Swift doesn't have it on the certificate, so it probably wasn't going to be their metal. [/QUOTE]
I think that is a typo and was supposed to be 737. There were some plans to operate to some of the local islands, at least Palau, for which the 757 would have been too big.
My question(s) is this? Why the 727? Where was it coming from? Swift doesn't have it on the certificate, so it probably wasn't going to be their metal. [/QUOTE]
I think that is a typo and was supposed to be 737. There were some plans to operate to some of the local islands, at least Palau, for which the 757 would have been too big.
06-28-2012, 08:27 PM
#30
Gets Weekends Off
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Mar 2011
Posts: 597
Sure hope EZjet knows who they're dealing with if they decided to use Swift Air for the expansion as well as still on JFK-GEO-JFK. Seems like Swift doesn't care about the companies they fly for.
The Ch. 11 article says Swift already has the 757(s) on property. Where are they at and what happens to them next?
Re: 727
---------
Makes more sense.
The Ch. 11 article says Swift already has the 757(s) on property. Where are they at and what happens to them next?
Re: 727
---------
Makes more sense.
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