Tokyo Narita's newly extended runway entered service yesterday, five months ahead of the original schedule, according to Narita International Airport Corp. Runway B was lengthened to 2,500 m. from 2,180 m. Runway A measures 4,000 m. The airport will have 20,000 additional slots available per year starting March 28.
Iberia and Gol signed a codeshare deal under which IB will add its code to Gol flights from Rio de Janeiro Galeao and Sao Paulo Guarulhos to 13 Brazilian destinations. The carriers said they "are also evaluating the possibility" of linking their loyalty programs.
Southwest Airlines announced service increases from Denver and St. Louis. From DEN it will launch daily flights to Hartford, Boise, Ontario, Detroit and Washington Dulles on March 14, as well as a third daily frequency to Oklahoma City. In May it will start Saturday flights to New York LaGuardia along with additional frequencies to seven US cities. SWA said it has acquired two additional gates on Concourse C, giving it 12 at the airport.
Singapore Airlines will fly the A380 to Zurich beginning in February, a ZRH spokesperson told the Neue Zurcher Zeitung. SQ reportedly will cease its 12-times-weekly 777 SIN-ZRH service and replace it with a daily A380 flight.
UK airports operator BAA concluded an agreement to sell its 100% interest in London Gatwick to a group controlled by Global Infrastructure Partners for £1.51 billion ($2.48 billion), of which £55 million is conditional on future traffic performance and the buyer's future capital structure.
Southwest Airlines yesterday announced it will launch service at the new Northwest Florida-Panama City International Airport next May, operating at least two daily flights to four undisclosed destinations. The airport, slated to open May 18, is being built on land donated by St. Joe Co., Florida's second-largest landowner and a major developer in northern Florida. Under a "strategic alliance" between the companies, St. Joe agreed to reimburse SWA on a quarterly basis if the airline incurs losses during the first three years.
Assn. of European Airlines said Polish air navigation services provider PANSA will raise fees next year by 62% for operations to/from Polish airports and by 32% for flights through national airspace "to compensate for the loss in traffic due to the economic crisis."
US National Transportation Board is investigating an incident in which a Delta Air Lines 767-300ER inbound from Rio de Janeiro Galeao landed on a taxiway at Atlanta Monday at approximately 6:05 a.m. local time. There were no injuries. The aircraft had declared a medical emergency earlier in the flight after a check airman onboard was taken ill. The decision was made to continue to ATL.
Air Arabia Egypt, the new budget airline launched by Sharjah-based Air Arabia in partnership with Egyptian travel group Travco is expecting to operate from multiple bases in Egypt.
Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) is being redeveloped at a cost of $750 million to enhance passenger capacity to 21 million by the year 2012. Plans include a state-of-the-art 86,000 square metre passenger terminal.
China Eastern Airlines yesterday established a branch company in Zhejiang province in an effort to explore the market in east China further. It plans to expand its fleet there from 24 aircraft to 40-50 in the next three years, with weekly departures climbing from the current 400 to around 900. CEA also is trying to capitalize on the influx of tourists expected for next year's Expo 2010 in Shanghai, which is expected to attract 70 million visitors to the region.
