• Christchurch Airport remains fully operational and is open to international and domestic flights.

• 200 people slept at the airport overnight. They were given blankets, water and free fruit.

• Free car parking at the airport will be offered until 2am Monday morning.

• A United Airlines aircraft landed early this morning with 25 tonnes of equipment and 80 Search and Rescue personnel from the US to help in the rescue and recovery effort. The aircraft is still on the Antarctic apron.

• Extra Air NZ flights and Qantas flights will come in today. As well as their full normal schedule, Air New Zealand are flying two extra 747s and one 777 to Auckland, and a 737 to Wellington, with additional aircraft as they can. There will be two extra Qantas flights, one from Melbourne and one from Sydney which are bringing Australian police to help with the rescue and recovery; the return flights will then be open to commercial travellers who want a flight to Australia. Qantas have also increased the size of their scheduled aircraft to a 767.

• Jetstar is running its normal schedule of flights in and out of Christchurch today.

• The Prime Minister and Minister John Carter are coming to Christchurch today.

ENDS

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