3rd delay for Shizuoka Airport

Written by Writer on Thursday, October 30th, 2008

3rd delay for Shizuoka Airport

The third postponement of the opening of Shizuoka Airport was confirmed Wednesday by Shizuoka Gov. Yoshinobu Ishikawa, who added that the airport would start operations four months later, in July 2009.

The governor confirmed the delay at a meeting of the prefectural assembly. According to the prefectural government, the delay was due to 153 trees and an adjacent parcel of highland bordering the end of the airport’s 2,500-meter-long runway.

The trees and the land exceed the height limit stipulated by the Civil Aeronautics Law. It will take additional time to conduct construction work to temporarily shorten the runway length to 2,200 meters and install navigation lights and ground markers, so aircraft will not be obstructed by the trees when taking off and landing.

According to Ishikawa, the government failed to reach an agreement with the landowner to cut down the trees and decrease the height of the land, and decided to shorten the runway by 300 meters from the western edge. If the two sides come to an agreement later, the runway could be extended to its original length.
(Oct. 30, 2008)