A Japanese tour agency will start charter flight operations from Russia to the Northern Marianas in February.
The agency H.I.S. Tour will launch direct charter flights to the CNMI from Vladivostok and Khabarovsk on a B737-700 aircraft operated by Yakutia Airlines.
Saipan airport, CNMI Photo: Free google search image
The CNMI has become a popular travel destination for tourists from Russia's far east.
Visitor arrivals from Russia have grown by 26 percent in the last year.
Main growth though has been in the China market with Chinese visitors making up 36 percent of total visitor arrivals in the 2014 fiscal year, a 40 percent increase over 2013.