Narita's extended runway in service

NARITA--Services resumed on Narita International Airport's second runway Thursday, after the completion of work to lengthen it from 2,180 to 2,500 meters.

The first to take off from the refurbished Runway B was a charter flight of tourists aboard a Japan Airlines Boeing 747 bound for Hakodate, Hokkaido.

The 320-meter extension to Runway B allows it to accommodate flights to the U.S. West Coast, the Middle East and other longer-range destinations.

From March, the airport will increase its annual flight load by 20,000 take-offs and landings from the current 200,000, including traffic on the 4,000-meter Runway A.(IHT/Asahi: October 23,2009)