general

Istanbul New Airport (INA) has commissioned its first runway, a significant milestone as it prepares for opening in late Oct 2018. INA, which will initially have 3 runways (with up to 6 planned as traffic grows), is replacing Istanbul’s current main hub, Ataturk International. INA’s initial capacity will be 90m passengers a year, with the ability to grow to as many as 200m. Ataturk is operating above its planned design capacity, at least partly because of the rapid growth over the past decade of Turkish Airlines. Passenger throughput in 2017 was 63.7m, almost double 2010’s figure. INA reported March 29 that 80% of the airport’s initial phase is now complete. “We have recently finished the baggage system... And now, runway number one is ready for take-off and landing," said iGA Airports Construction CE Yusuf Akçayoğlu. <br/>

All flights departing from Swedish airports will now have an added charge. Sweden introduced a new aviation tax Sunday that will add an extra charge to all passenger flights from the country in a bid to lessen air travel’s impact on the climate. “The objective of the tax is to minimise the carbon footprint of flights following a sharp increase in air travel,” a climate minister and Greens spokeswoman said. All flights departing from Swedish airports will have an added charge of between SEK60 to SEK400 (US$7 to US$49), depending on the destination. It will apply to everyone except babes in arms, flight crews, passengers stopping over without changing planes and — in some circumstances — those in transit to take another flight. According to a survey, 53% of Swedes are in the favour of the new tax. <br/>