The recovering tourism industry in the Northern Marianas stands to lose 6.7 million US dollars due to the seven-day suspension of Asiana Airlines.
South Korea's Ministry of Transport announced the temporary suspension last week, because of a flight which left Saipan in mid-April despite engine trouble being discovered.
The Marianas Visitors Authority says the potential loss is based on a load factor of 80 percent, as Asiana Airlines provides 3,774 seats per week there.
The suspension, however, could be offset by newcomer Jeju Air's annual economic impact of more than 123 million US dollars.
