V2fix From New Zealand, joined Mar 2003, 368 posts, RR: 4 Posted (9 years 4 months 1 week 6 days 22 hours ago) and read 3318 times:
The ETOPS operations in the Pacific had been under threat, with the potential of longer sectors for ETOPS, becasue of the closure of Midway.
A new emergency site has been itentified.
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Five regional airlines serving the United States from the Pacific have agreed to pay the government of Kiribati $US100,000 ($147,000) for the upgrade of Cassidy Airport on Christmas Island.
The airlines are Air Pacific, Air New Zealand, Qantas, Polynesian Airlines and Aloha Airlines.
Air Pacific's chief executive officer, John Campbell, has confirmed the one-off payment is for this year only.
He says the airlines will contribute annually for the ongoing availability of Cassidy as an alternate extended range twin engine operations emergency stop.
Cassidy is to replace Johnston Atoll shut down by US authorities in December last year.
Campbell says the Kiribati government will pay $US200,000 ($294,000) for renovations.
The director of civil aviation for Kiribati, Jack Snow, says the airport is likely to be operational by the end of the month.
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Ushermittwoch From Germany, joined Jan 2004, 2889 posts, RR: 18 Reply 1, posted (9 years 4 months 1 week 6 days 22 hours ago) and read 3250 times:
Does anybody know how much has to be done to make the airport set for a 777 or such like to land there?
I don't know anything about the airport but $300000 don't seem to be a lot of money...
Ha763 From United States of America, joined Jan 2003, 3492 posts, RR: 6 Reply 3, posted (9 years 4 months 1 week 6 days 22 hours ago) and read 3205 times:
Don't you mean Johnston? Midway is still open, but barely, running on emergency appropriations. Just last week a CO 777 made an emergency landing on Midway.
Motorhussy From New Zealand, joined Mar 2000, 2760 posts, RR: 10 Reply 4, posted (9 years 4 months 1 week 6 days 19 hours ago) and read 3125 times:
Yep, definite mistake here.
Midway is not a ETOPS diversion for flights SW to/from NE across the Pacific, it's a diversion from the Orient and Micronesia to Hawaii and Mainland.
Yep, just confirmed it. It's Johnston alright, thirteen hundred odd km's SW of Hawaii. Midway's NW of Hawaii, about a third of the way from HNL to NRT. That's a Hell of an ETOPS diversion for an HNL bound flight from APW!
Timz From United States of America, joined Sep 1999, 6468 posts, RR: 8 Reply 6, posted (9 years 4 months 1 week 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 2928 times:
Obvious question: what if some other airline needs to use Christmas? Will they have to pay a large sum to make up for the "free ride" they got until then? Will they figure heck, it's only 400 nm farther to Hilo, let's go there instead?
Actually, Christmas doesn't look all that helpful, except as a backup if Tahiti or Hilo have bad weather. Assuming the flight is 180-min ETOPS, that is.
Aerokiwi From New Zealand, joined Jul 2000, 2410 posts, RR: 4 Reply 7, posted (9 years 4 months 1 week 6 days 4 hours ago) and read 2802 times:
It will be hugely helpful to airlines like Qantas, United and Air New Zealand for their SW Pacific - US flights. Hence their agreement to pay for Christmas Island.
Could this be a precursor to these airlines purchasing 777/7E7s or operating A330s across the Pacific?
Aloha717200 From United States of America, joined Aug 2003, 4397 posts, RR: 17 Reply 8, posted (9 years 4 months 1 week 6 days 4 hours ago) and read 2776 times:
Very interesting for sure. I'm still hoping that Midway will remain open, after all its perfectly located for emergency landings on northern pacific flights, and with Wake Island now closed, all that's left is Bucholz Airfield on Kwajalein, and that airport is already accepting more ops right now than was expected.
To be honest though instead of Christmas Island, I had expected Tarawa...the capital of Kiribati.
Motorhussy From New Zealand, joined Mar 2000, 2760 posts, RR: 10 Reply 10, posted (9 years 4 months 1 week 5 days 23 hours ago) and read 2649 times:
I think it's great for the state of Kiribati that they can get some privately owned, publicly owned and foreign government owned companies to pay for the upgrade of their Av. infrastructure.
I hope they can do the same for Tarawa as it's a good diversion for flights from HNL to SYD, MEL and AKL - so good for NZ, QF and AC!
This gives the country more funds to spend attempting to police its exclusive economic (marine) zone - the largest tuna fishery on the planet and it's being plundered knowingly by many countries.
Timz From United States of America, joined Sep 1999, 6468 posts, RR: 8 Reply 11, posted (9 years 4 months 1 week 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 2490 times:
"I don't think they choose Tarawa, as it's 1,800 nautical miles to the east of Christmas Island"
Ha763 From United States of America, joined Jan 2003, 3492 posts, RR: 6 Reply 13, posted (9 years 4 months 1 week 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 2243 times:
Wake is only temporarily closed. Work is currently underway on runway repairs and Wake will reopen when the repairs are done.
Timz From United States of America, joined Sep 1999, 6468 posts, RR: 8 Reply 14, posted (9 years 4 months 1 week 4 days 13 hours ago) and read 2141 times:
"It [Christmas Island] will be hugely helpful to airlines like Qantas, United and Air New Zealand for their SW Pacific - US flights."
As long as Apia/Faleolo, Tahiti, and the Hawaiian airports are available, the "great circles" from Sydney and Auckland to California and Hawaii are never more than 1200 nm from an airport (though SYD-HNL comes close). That's without considering Johnston or Christmas. But apparently those airports do help somehow, and it would be nice to know how.
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From New Zealand, joined Mar 2003, 368 posts, 
From Germany, joined Jan 2004, 2889 posts, 
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But the Pacific Ocean is very very large.For the Pacific I prefer 3/4 engines...
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