China Eastern Airlines to link Shizuoka with Shanghai

SHIZUOKA, Japan, Dec. 12 Kyodo - China Eastern Airlines Corp. will start flying between Shizuoka and Shanghai four times a week when Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport opens, the Shizuoka prefectural government said Friday.
The inauguration will mark the second international route for the airport in
Japan's central area since Asiana Airlines Inc. of South Korea decided to fly
between Shizuoka and Seoul.
China Eastern Airlines told Shizuoka Gov. Yoshinobu Ishikawa when he visited
the company's headquarters in Shanghai earlier in the day that the airline had
received the Chinese civil aviation authorities' approval to open the route,
according to the Shizuoka government.
The state-owned Chinese carrier will decide on specifics, including a fight
schedule, after the new airport's opening date is officially set.
Ishikawa said in a statement that China Eastern Airlines' decision reflects
high expectations for the prefecture, adding that the Shizuoka government will
strive to boost demand for flight services in cooperation with the airline.
The opening of the new airport, which was originally scheduled for next March,
has been delayed following a decision to shorten its runway to 2,200 meters
from 2,500 meters.
==Kyodo