Haneda, Narita airports to continue complementing each other: Maehara+

TOKYO, Oct. 13 Kyodo - Transport minister Seiji Maehara said Tuesday he thinks the operations of Haneda airport in Tokyo and Narita International Airport in neighboring Chiba Prefecture will continue to complement each other even after Haneda is turned into a hub for international flights.

''It does not mean shifting (international flights) from Narita to Haneda,''
Maehara said at a news conference, downplaying concern among municipalities
that his idea will threaten Narita's longtime role as an airport for
international flights.
Narita is currently used for most international flights serving the Tokyo
metropolitan area, while Haneda is mainly used for domestic flights.
Maehara unveiled Monday his idea of turning Haneda into a 24-hour international
hub airport after meeting Osaka Gov. Toru Hashimoto, who had asked the central
government to invest in turning Kansai International Airport in Osaka
Prefecture into an international hub.
The minister's idea has caused a stir among local governments, especially Chiba
Prefecture, as it would represent a major shift in the government's
longstanding policy of routing most Tokyo-bound international flights to Narita
airport.
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama apparently sought to play down Maehara's remarks,
telling reporters Tuesday evening that the minister's comments came as Haneda
is strengthening its role as an international airport.
''But the idea is not that Narita and Kansai international airports will no
longer be given importance,'' Hatoyama said.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano said at a separate news conference that
the minister of land, infrastructure, transport and tourism needs to
''sufficiently consult'' with relevant authorities, noting that the plan was
purely Maehara's idea.
To address concern that Narita's status as Japan's international hub airport
would weaken, Maehara said he will explain his plan to local authorities,
including Chiba Gov. Kensaku Morita with whom he will meet Wednesday.
Morita, however, criticized Maehara's idea, telling reporters, ''Just when we
were working on coexistence (between Narita as an international airport and
Haneda as a domestic airport), that can't be right.''
Osaka Gov. Hashimoto reiterated that Kansai airport should also be turned into
an international hub, saying, ''We need two hub airports, in eastern and
western Japan. I am basically for the idea of turning Haneda airport into a
hub, but that alone will not help Japan.''
Meanwhile, Fujio Mitarai, chairman of the Japan Business Federation, also known
as Nippon Keidanren, expressed support for Maehara's idea.
A fourth runway at Haneda airport, officially known as Tokyo International
Airport, is scheduled to open in October next year and is expected to sharply
boost capacity, allowing the airport to offer around 407,000 departure and
arrival slots per year.
Maehara expressed hope that half of the approximately 110,000 slots that will
be added after the fourth runway opens would be allocated for international
flights.
His idea has elicited mixed reactions from the general public, with some
passengers welcoming the move as Haneda is more conveniently located than
Narita.
==Kyodo
2009-10-13 23:41:34