Japan's Transport Ministry has formed an in-house committee to pursue the opening of Tokyo's domestic Haneda Airport to international flights in a key step towards easing congestion at busy airports.
Charter flights will probably be the first to use the airport for international services from June or July, followed later by scheduled flights. A third runway at Haneda was officially opened late in March, allowing for a boost in movements from the middle of this year.
A lack of new slots at Tokyo's two airports has for years impeded the growth of Japan's carriers. Tokyo's Narita international airport is well outside the city and has been at full capacity for some time. A second runway due to open in 2002 will be shorter than originally planned, making it of limited use.
The only international flights handled by Haneda are, for political reasons, flights by Taiwan's China Airlines. Regular international flights from the airport have been considered for some time but it is a highly political issue, as it is partly linked to Narita's expansion.
Narita's second runway has been delayed for decades because local farmers have refused to sell their land and the government has until recently felt that allowing international flights from Haneda would hinder negotiations with landowners. Construction of a second runway finally began in December after discussions with farmers failed and the government decided to build a 2,180m (7,150ft)-long runway north of the originally planned site on its own land.
Movements are restricted at Haneda, which handles more than 50 million passengers a year. A second runway opened in 1997 and is officially available for use around the clock. It is likely that the authorities will initially allow international flights when Narita - which has an overnight curfew - is closed.
Meanwhile, Japan's "big three" carriers All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines and Japan Air System have firmed up plans for a joint Tokyo-Osaka shuttle service to improve their competitiveness with the country's bullet train. The joint service is to be launched this summer.
Around 35 million people travel between the Tokyo and Osaka regions annually, mostly by high-speed rail.
The tie-up is a major step for the three competitors, which have been suffering in recent years from a depressed economy and the launch of newly owned low-cost domestic airlines.
| Airlines serving Tokyo Haneda Airport | |
| Airline | Share of Slots (%) |
| All Nippon Airways | 39.3 |
| Japan Air System | 29.4 |
| Japan Airlines | 21.1 |
| All Nippon | 5.9 |
| China Airlines | 1.2 |
| Japan TransOcean Air | 1.1 |
| Skymark Airlines | 0.9 |
| Hokkaido Int Airlines | 0.9 |
Source: Airline Business
