Delta Air Lines announced that it will no longer offer flights from Guam to Narita Airport in Japan after the beginning of 2018 due to North Korean despot Kim Jong-un threatening missile attack on the U.S. island territory, the Seattle Times noted. By January 8, United Airlines will be the only United States carrier covering the Narita-Guam route. Delta currently offers two flights a day between Narita and Guam, USA Today reported. Low demand is the reason the airline cited for cutting the route. Delta is, however, keeping its Saipan-Narita and Palau-Narita routes.

Hiroko Okada is with Delta Air Lines’ corporate communications department. Okada issued a statement, saying the demand doesn’t justify sustaining Narita-Guam route, according to USA Today. The final day for the route will be January 8, 2018. Delta currently offers two flights a day.

Final flights on Delta Narita-Guam route January 2018

Before the final afternoon Delta flight between Narita and Guam in January 2018, the airline is discontinuing its early morning flight for the route next month according to Rolenda Lujan Faasuamalie, who is the airport marketing administrator, A.B. Won Pat International Airport Authority. The loss of the Delta servicing the Narita-Guam route will decrease seating capacity 35 percent from Narita, Japan.

United Airlines and Japan Airlines presently plan to keep their Narita-Guam routes.

While tourism from Japan to Guam has been decreasing, Guam has seen a “sharp increase” in visitors from South Korea every month, USA Today relayed. Faasuamalie said that Delta Air Lines executives discussed its plans to discontinue the airline’s Narita-Guam flights.

She explained that if Delta keeps its authority offer service in Guam through the U.S. Department of Transportation, the airline will be able to renew their service to Guam.

Delta does plan to keep its daily flights from Narita to Saipan – the largest of the Northern Mariana Islands in the Western Pacific. The airline will also continue its twice-weekly flights to Palau.

Delta cutting Guam route deals a blow to economy with missile threats looming

Delta’s decision to discontinue routes affecting Guam is the most recent blow to its economy. North Korean missile threats led to a $9.5 million loss to Guam’s tourism during last month based on a report from the Guam Visitors Bureau (GVB), according to USA Today.

HK Express decided to delay flights covering its Guam-Nagoya route until summer 2018 in light of North Korean missile threats. Heightened geopolitical concerns stemming from Kim Jong-un’s missile threats led to 7,426 cancellations in August. The cancellations were principally from Japan and included business ventures, school groups, tours, and a chartered China Air flight from Taiwan in October, according to Guam’s tourism bureau and reported by USA Today, as well as the Seattle Times.

People are wary about traveling to Guam with missile threats looming from North Korea’s dictator.

Delta offered flights in Guam since 1984

Delta has been offering flights to Guam since Pan American’s service stopped in 1984. Before it became known as Delta, the airlines did business as Northwest Orient Airlines. The airline was next known as Northwest Airlines. In 2008, Northwest merged with Delta and became Delta Air Lines.

GVB has incentive ideas in place, planning to draw new airline service. The bureau also intends to increase its marketing activities to bolster current services, explained Antonio Muna, Jr., GVB’s president, and CEO. Muna thanked Delta for more than 30 years that the airline has partnered with GVB, according to USA Today. He further stated that GVB “will work closely with HK Express,” thanking the airline. “We look forward to their new launch date in 2018.”