Marianas Southern Airways took its first flight from Saipan to Guam on Thursday. They plan to offer up to five daily flights to regional travelers. And that could include trips to the Northern Islands.

Timothy Rouse, pilot and check airman said, "It was very nice, beautiful flight today, it was smooth. Unfortunately, we had to deviate a little bit because of a big jet coming in so we were a few minutes late, but other than that it was a wonderful flight."

Marianas Southern Airways completed it map route with its first flight to Guam from Saipan on Thursday, marking a watershed moment for regional travel. Governor Lou Leon Guerrero welcomed its landing, saying, "There are a lot of businesses from here who have businesses on Saipan, even Tinian and Rota. It is also especially significant for those islands to be ale to have airlines that can move cargo, airlines that can medevac, and airlines that can move passengers."

CNMI Governor Ralph Torres and Rota Senator Victor Hocog were its first passengers, celebrating the investment that now expands travel to Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. Torres says plans for travel to the Northern Islands are also in the works. 

Torres said, "It is a great opportunity for everyone, for folks in the CNMI probably the most because now we have more reliable air services."

MSA plans to launch up to 5 flights a day from Guam to the NMI.  Keith Sisson, Chief of Staff, Southern Airways, "This completes what we are trying to do here initially, but we have more things coming. We are looking forward to adding flights from Guam direct to Tinian and Guam direct to Rota and hopefully that will be coming up in the next few months."

"So for people that perhaps live on Saipan that come in from the Honolulu United connection, they have to stay overnight in Guam, they can not get home that night, we will be able to make that happen. We will be able to connect people to the flights from Saipan to the Philippines here on Guam without an overnight connection."

It comes at a time when the islands are still reeling from the pandemic's economic blow. 

Ian Vanderbeek, Marianas Southern Airways corporate services vice president, saying, "It does not matter where you are located, but if you do not have strong air links, or strong sea link, or strong rail link, depending on what your geography is and what services you it is awfully hard to get your economy to grow."