Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has undertaken consideration of f airport expansion in Tokyo Metropolitan region, forming an advisory panel on November 1. It is intended to prepare for increasing demand in passenger capacity at two airports in the area where two thirds of demand in domestic flights are concentrated. The panel will discuss technical problems on building an additional runway at Haneda, establishment of a new airport and civil aviation at US Air Force’s Yokota Air Base.

Mr. Hitoshi Ieda, the chair of the committee said at the press conference after its first meeting that the initial targeted year is 2020, when Olympic Games are held in Tokyo, followed by a further study on the medium term plan for 2030-40, when the number of passengers will greatly increase. From a long term perspective, the study will continue until 2050, when the population of Japan will decline to less than 100 million. Disaster prevention measures at airports and more advanced traffic control technologies are also to be studied against increasing natural disasters including earthquakes and typhoons, Mr. Ieda said. (2013/11/05)