SAIPAN — Visitor arrivals to the Marianas fell to 3,277 in April 2026, a 72 percent decline from 11,880 a year earlier, as Super Typhoon Sinlaku shut down nighttime flight operations at the islands’ international airport, the Marianas Visitors Authority reported.
The April figure marked the first full month to reflect the storm, which struck in mid-April and forced the temporary suspension of international nighttime flights pending repairs at Francisco C. Ada Saipan International Airport. Arrivals in March had totaled 12,865, an 8 percent decline from 13,981 in March 2025, before the storm’s full effect reached the arrival counts.
Through the fiscal year to date, the Marianas has recorded 80,803 visitors, down 24 percent from 106,485 over the same period a year earlier.
The Commonwealth Ports Authority has announced that night operations at the airport will resume June 20, and airlines have begun announcing plans to restart service from key markets including Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and Manila.
MVA said the destination has struggled to rebuild arrivals since the pandemic because of currency disadvantages, rising fuel costs, airline decisions, destination competition and geopolitical changes between the United States and China, once the destination’s primary source market.
South Korea remained the top source market despite the disruption. Korea arrivals totaled 740 in April, down 90 percent from April 2025, after totaling 7,411 in March, a 17 percent decline. The Marianas received 60 flights from Korea in March compared to 80 a year earlier, and Jeju Air began a temporary suspension of its daily flight on March 29. Jeju Air has since opened online bookings for the planned resumption of direct Seoul-Saipan flights beginning June 20, pending operational conditions.
Arrivals from Japan fell 75 percent to 225 in April, after holding steady at 1,122 in March compared to 1,121 a year earlier. United Airlines is scheduled to resume its three weekly direct flights from Tokyo Narita to Saipan on August 2, and major travel agencies are awaiting the airport’s reopening to resume package sales.
Arrivals from China dropped 50 percent to 391 in April and totaled 1,348 in March, an 8 percent decline from a year earlier. Hong Kong Airlines is expected to resume Hong Kong-Saipan service in July, with the date to be confirmed. The United States was the only major market not significantly affected during the period. April arrivals from the mainland totaled 1,130, a decline MVA attributed in part to two U.S. military ship arrivals in April 2025 compared to none this year. The authority said the reduction was less severe than in other markets because of the arrival of rescue and relief workers, utility crews and representatives of organizations assisting with post-typhoon recovery.
Other April arrivals included 544 visitors from Guam and 247 from other markets combined. Philippine Airlines began twice-weekly direct Manila-Saipan service on March 29, and the Marianas received one cruise ship arrival in March.
