Kate Sarsfield/LONDON
Pressure is building on the Japanese Government to improve access for business aircraft at its Tokyo airports, Haneda and Narita, following demands from US and Japanese business leaders at their annual business council meeting in the nation's capital last month.
The leaders have joined forces with the international business aviation community, which has been calling for years for business aircraft access to be improved at the state-owned airports. Support from airframe manufacturers and industry heads has risen due to the introduction of long range business jet models, namely the Boeing Business Jet, Airbus A319CJ, Gulfstream V and Bombardier Global Express.
"Haneda, Tokyo's domestic airport [in close proximity to the city centre], admits no international traffic, blaming among other things the lack of a customs and immigration service. Businessmen flying to Haneda must land at another airport first, which defeats the objective of flying on a business jet", says the US National Business Aviation Association (NBAA). Narita Airport meanwhile only permits three dedicated business aircraft slots a day.
The NBAA, along with other international trade associations, manufacturers and operators, says Japan is behind other countries in the treatment of business aviation.
Bryan Moss, Gulfstream's vice chairman argues: "Business aircraft are becoming a vital form of transport for large companies. Where other Asian countries such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and mainland China are moving to improve access to business aircraft, Japan remains only nominally responsive to the needs of the business aviation community."
The industry is calling for access to Haneda on a similar basis to other major international airports, offering more arrival and departure slots and comprehensive customs, immigration, quarantine and flight handling services. At Narita it is requesting an increase to 10 dedicated slots a day and flexibility in schedule changes.
Source: Flight International
