The Dutch Government has postponed imposition of a curfew at Rotterdam Zestienhoven Airport planned for 5 August until 1 November. Dutch charter airline Transavia had threatened legal action. The government says the aim is to reduce aircraft noise around the airport. Barbados has begun a $70 million renovation of Bridgetown's Grantley Adams International Airport. The five-year three-phase programme includes airfield pavement repairs, a new cargo apron, terminal improvements and, ultimately, modernisation and expansion of the terminal. Officials at the newly opened Italian airport of Brescia-Montichiari are confident that it will achieve its target of 350,000 passengers annually within four years, despite a slow start. The eastern Italian airport, which was developed from a military airport with L45 billion ($23.7 million) investment, had a busy first three months while neighbouring Verona-Villafranca Airport was closed, but traffic dropped off when the latter re-opened. Korean Air president Shim Yi-Taek says the opening of the new Inchon Airport, planned as South Korea's new international hub, may be delayed by about three months beyond the official opening date of 1 January, 2001. Major airlines and air transport lobby groups have been pushing to delay the opening by up to six months to avoid a repeat of the chaos that surrounded the unveiling of Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok Airport and Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The Seoul government maintains that the target opening date will be met. The airport will open with two runways, allowing an initial 27 million passengers and 1.7 million tonnes of cargo to be handled annually. Airports operator Malaysia Airports (MAB) is to be listed on the Kuala Lumpur stock exchange by the end of the year. According to local press reports, MAB chairman Basir Ismali says that the company is preparing documents ready for the listing.
Source: Flight International
