Japan to impose no-fly zone over G-8 summit venue+

TOKYO, June 10 Kyodo - Japan will impose a no-fly zone with a radius of 46 kilometers around the Windsor Hotel Toya, the venue in Hokkaido of the July 7-9 Group of Eight summit, the transport ministry said Tuesday.
The no-fly zone, to be imposed July 6-9, will be restricted basically to aircraft transporting summit participants and other officials as well as Japan's Self-Defense Forces and police helicopters involved in maintaining security, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
It will be the first no-fly zone imposed over the country since 2002 when Japan and South Korea co-hosted the World Cup soccer tournament. At the time, air traffic restrictions were imposed in zones up to an altitude of 750 meters and within a maximum 3 km radius of Japanese soccer stadiums hosting World Cup games.
The no-fly zone to be imposed during the G-8 summit will make it impossible for Hokkaido Air Commuter, part of the Japan Airlines Corp. group, and All Nippon Airways Co. to fly on their usual routes and will require detours, possibly extending flight times by several minutes, the airlines said.
The Windsor Hotel Toya, which stands atop a 620-meter mountain, offers an unrestricted view of Lake Toya. The ministry said it had to figure out security measures to prevent a hijacked airplane from slamming into the hotel in a repeat of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States.
The no-fly zone with a 46 km radius should provide sufficient time for the evacuation of people inside the hotel if a suspicious aircraft is spotted near the area, the ministry said.