Midway Island's runway is unlikely to reopen as an emergency alternative for twinjet operations across the Pacific until at least May. Work is needed to meet safety requirements, and talks to secure the airport's long-term future have just begun.
Under an agreement this month, former airport operator Midway Phoenix is obliged to complete the airport's certification, improve the emergency response plan and undertake equipment repairs by 8 May, says US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) official in charge of Midway Rob Schallenberger.
If Phoenix meets its obligations, FWS will ask the US Federal Aviation Administration to mount an inspection that could lead to the airport being reinstated as an alternate runway for extended range twin- engine operations (ETOPS).
Source: Flight International
